Chris Tucker and the Russian Embassy

Last Thursday I trekked to Abu Dhabi to see the comedian, Chris Tucker.  What a treat that was!  Surprisingly, there were lots of local men and women.  I kept thinking, do they know this guy?  Do they know that he can be risqué?  And if, or rather, when he is, is that going to be a problem?

Nope.  Not at all.

They were lapping it up.  It helps that Chris comes off as the cool kid that everyone wants to hang with.  Some of his best material were the local jokes.  Again, the crowd loved him.

Now to the Russian Embassy.

I'm headed to Moscow for Spring Break, and so is one of my teachers and her family. She asked if I've gotten my visa.  Of course, I hadn't thought about it because in most places you can pick them up at the airport when you land.

Anyway, thank God for this lady.  In order to visit Russia, you have to go online and get an "invitation" to visit the country, and complete a lengthy application.  Without her help, I would have been up a creek.  She also shared the GPS coordinates, which was critical to finding the place.

Interestingly, it is not anywhere near Embassy Row, where most are located.  It is housed in a large, old nondescript building surrounded by storefronts.  The only clue that you've found the place are the guards posted at every corner.  They were kinda cute.  Very laid back.  Teddy bearish.

Inside, the place was manned by Russians, unlike the American Embassy, which didn't have an American in sight.

There were Russian speaking folks there for visas, too.  Not sure why they needed them.

Here's is how it works.

You present your paperwork to a clerk, who checks it, and when its all good, she takes your passport and gives you a bill for the services.

Here's the wild part.

They don't handle any money directly.  You have to go to their bank where they have an account, deposit the money, bring back the receipt, wait for a while for them to complete everything, and then you're done.  My friend suggested I park Luther and take a cab to the bank and back.  Again, this was great advice.  It took a total of two hours, although with all of the running around, it seemed a lot longer. The only branch of the bank open after hours is in Abu Dhabi Mall.  What a madhouse that was!

Anyway, thankfully, with the visa in hand, I'm ready to go.  Come April 2nd, I'll be on my way.  The following week I'm headed to Ethiopia.  You can be sure I'm checking their visa requirements as soon as I post this.

Things have been crazy busy at work, so the break will be a welcome reprieve.

Hope that all is well in your world.

More soon.

Cheers.

Good Doggy!

This was forwarded to me from Roz.  Huge thanks to her for sharing this clip of this amazingly helpful pooch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=P9Fyey4D5hg

Jailed

A woman in Abu Dhabi was jailed for handing out bibles.  Probably not the smartest thing to do in a Muslim country.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/courts/abu-dhabi-woman-accused-of-proselytising?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Daily%2BNewsletter%2B28-02-2013

Chastity Explained

A very interesting and surprising article on a recent study by researchers at CUNY about religious affiliation and pre-martial sex.  It was found on "The Dish."

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/02/24/which-religions-are-the-most-chaste/

Global Warming?

Hat tip to Forrest for sharing this video.  It's four minutes.  Stay with it to understand the enormity of what we're witnessing.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hC3VTgIPoGU?rel=0

Presentation is Everything

We had another celebration at school today, and with it came a parade of many cakes.  Beautiful, layered, decorative, and inviting . . .

. . . until it was time to eat them.

I should mention that utensils are not used to cut the cakes, so after the first fist digs in, your appetite for the cake diminishes completely.

The kids are darling, though.  They want to share with everyone, especially the adults in the building, so many of them came by my office with boxes of the remnants of the beautiful cakes that were.

Thankfully, I brought some veggies to munch on and I could show the kids I was dieting, when they insisted that I partake of their goodies.

This whole scene is reminiscent of the traditional meals we've had, where these huge woks are filled to overflowing with food, and everyone digs in.  Most of the time there will be a serving spoon, but if there isn't one, you just scoop things up with the flat bread that is served with every meal.

These experiences have taught me that presentation is everything, and even chocolate is a turn off once it becomes finger/fist food.

Long Day

Have you ever had one of those mind-numbing meetings where two hours felt like twenty . . .

. . . in labor?

How is it that we folks who are teachers, who stand in front of people everyday, can be so out-of-touch with our audience?

Do we not see their glassy eyes?  Or do we just choose to ignore them and plow on?

Is it not obvious when some of us (OK, me) get five cups of coffee, four more than usual, just to stay awake?

And the restroom runs?

I lost count.

It was a painfully long day.

Here's hoping that yours is not.

My Toilet Fascination

Yes.

My toilet fascination is a bit strange.

OK.

It's really strange.

But in the spirit of discovering something new . . . in toilets, check this out.

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2011/10/12/technology/personaltech/100000001071311/the-toilet-of-tomorrow.html?VI-D-E-OB-AD-TXT-NA-ROS-0912-NA

GPA vs. FTA

Anybody else wonder if this kid's GPA (grade point average) is as prodigious as his FTA (free throws attempted)?

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/02/16/sports/100000002069966/big-talent-tiny-point-guard.html?emc=eta1

Addresses Are Coming!

This was the headline news in today's paper.  All the Western ex-pats are rejoicing!

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/every-home-in-abu-dhabi-to-have-its-own-address?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Daily%2BNewsletter%2B17-02-2013

Tattoos, Phones and Cameras

I think tattoos are silly.

I know.

No one cares what I think, but I wanted it on record.

I'm not a fan.

Interestingly, I've yet to see tattoos on anyone in my travels.  Although, to be fair, I can't say I was looking for them per se.  I'm guessing they're more prevalent in Europe.

I understand many tattoos are meaningful and touching.  The thing is, many of what was meaningful in my 20's, seems down right stupid in my 50's.  If I would have indulged then, I'd be spending a mint to get them removed now.

But that's me.

Old school through and through.

Now to mobile phones -

As I've shared before, this area is keeping Blackberry phones alive.  There appears to be more Blackberry mobiles than iPhones, by a long shot.  And, if not Blackberry, some other android platform phones have flooded the market.

Whatever the phone, they all seem to have cameras and they are used profusely. Interestingly, local women usually cover up when we pull out our cameras, but they take pictures of each other at will.  In fact, everything that is done, is captured by picture.  It serves as proof that it happened.

Speaking of old school -

For those of you old enough to remember Walter Cronkite, he used to sign off his newscast like this:

"And that's the way it is."

I would add, "in the UAE."

More soon.

Inshallah.

All Kinds of Love

The following story was emailed to me from my dear friend Ann.  Huge thanks to her for sharing this incredible story.  I think it's fitting for this day we set aside for love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT IS MUCH GREATER AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.

THE ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY TO PAY RESPECT, BUT HOW DID THEY KNOW?

Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer, bravelyrescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during U.S. invasion in 2003.

.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.

He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons and numerous elephants.

Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs.

Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend.

A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.

Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence's passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way:

Walking slowly - for days - Making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.

So, how after Anthony’s death, did the reserve’s elephants — grazing miles away in distant parts of the park — know?

“A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants,sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.” “If there ever were a time, when we can truly sense the wondrous ‘interconnectedness of all beings,’ it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula.

A man’s heart’s stops, and hundreds of elephants’ hearts are grieving.

This man’s oh-so-abundantly loving heart offered healing to these elephants, and now, they came to pay loving homage to their friend.”

Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years!

But yet they knew where they were going.

The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect thatthey stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything.

Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back.

Teen Jeopardy

I'm not a fan of game shows, but this Teen Jeopardy video clip is a keeper.

Enjoy!

http://www.salon.com/2013/02/13/best_final_jeopardy_answer_ever/

Science & Random Thoughts

I'm tickled every time I visit one of the book stores because - front and center - are ready made science projects.  The student simply has to choose which experiment he/she is going to purchase.

Learning is optional.

If it can be purchased here, it is.

Random thoughts:

---There is a field just outside of Dubai that is dedicated to rugby.  It's called "The Sevens."

---The national airlines for Abu Dhabi is Ethiad.  The one for Dubai is Emirates.

---The president of the UAE has his own airport.  It is in Abu Dhabi, near the commercial airfield.

HQ Building in Abu Dhabi.  It looks like a giant frisbee.
I noticed it last week for the first time.  Hard to miss, though.

---As I've mentioned before, the roads and highways here are great.  Whoever planned this was a forward thinker.  The roadways are wide, at least six lanes across.  All signs are in Arabic and English.  Thank God!

---The mountain, Jabel Hafeet, located in Al Ain, can be seen 15 miles out because the road that runs through it is lit up like a Christmas Tree.  It's a majestic view.

---I just cooked a store bought personal pan pizza for dinner. The challenge is, I'm never sure of the temperature setting of the oven.  There are no numbers on the knob, so it's anybody's guess.  I knew the pizza was done when I smelled it burning.

I've learned to appreciate a home cooked meal.  Even a burnt one.

Here's hoping you have a terrific day.

Riveting Post

Not mine, the one linked below of the atrocities of rapist/priests of the Catholic Church.  It is fitting, given word of the pending resignation of Pope.

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/02/04/nostra-maxima-culpa/

Language Acquisition

An intriguing TED Talk on language.

True confession . . . I'm not sure I understood much of it, but it was fascinating nonetheless.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deb-roy/the-birth-of-a-word_b_2639625.html

Bald Heads, Labor Camps & Immigrants

It is rare to see a guy with a bald head.  In fact, seeing one today reminded me of just how rare it is.

Maybe it's because most of the guys I see working are young, 20-30 years old.  But the older guys tend to have heads full of hair, too.

Maybe it's their nationality.  Most of the ex-pat men are from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc. . . . our darker Asian brothers.

Maybe it's because their heads were shave as infants, which is a custom of many of these countries, including here.  The results are folks with really full, thick hair.

Of course, my observations do not include the Emiratis, as their heads, for both men and women, are covered with scarves, so we never see their hair.  Every now and then, if a guy has long hair, it peeks out.  And a few of the women will have bangs, and you can see those, but it's rare.  The ladies' faces are usually covered from just above their eyebrows, to just below their mouths.  Some Arab/Muslim women wear a tight head wrap, with another scarf on top of that, usually a different color. These are pinned down and stay put.  Most of the women just wrap a scarf around their head, but it slips, so they re-wrap it throughout the day.  Personally, having to deal with that, would be annoying to me.

Side note - Most of the ex-pat men live in labor camps.  They are located throughout the city.  They are cramped quarters, with many sharing the living space.  They are transported to work via large white school buses.

Side note 2 - There was a local deadly accident with one of the buses a couple of days ago.  A large truck, heavy with building materials, hit a bus, trapping many of the men, resulting in 24 deaths.  This was the worst traffic accident in UAE history. The men were all ex-pats, 16 from Bangladesh.

Many sacrifices are made, by people all over the world, in search of a better life.

Isn't that how the US came to be?

We, a land of immigrants, have now decided we don't want any more?  How do we slam the door that others held wide open for us?

We're better than this.

Here's hoping the pending legislation will reflect that welcoming spirit to all who land on our shores, wherever they come from.

He Thinks!

Great response by Kareem Abdul Jabbar to an article he wrote about the HBO show, "Girls."  This is from the Huffington Post "Black Voices."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kareem-abduljabbar/kareem-abdul-jabbar-girls-review_b_2615824.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black%20Voices

Lest We Forget

From the Huffington Post, "Black Voices."

1968 Olympics - Tommy Smith & John Carlos

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/02/black-history-month-photo_n_2606091.html#slide=2055901

Gumbo

Today I made a gumbo that turned out great.  That's no easy feat for me.  Even with the roux mix, which simplifies the process considerably, I still have managed to mess it up.

But not today.

Today, this one is perfect.

It has lots of green onions, dried shrimp, which really enhances the flavor, and lots of skinless, boneless chicken.

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with gumbo, it's a cross between soup and stew.  It has the consistency of a broth, with the variety of ingredients like a stew. The roux is the key to a successful gumbo.  It is typically made by browning flour and oil together until it turns a deep brown.  This process requires constant stirring, because it can and does burn very quickly if unattended.  Then you fill the pot up with water.  I added green onions, dried shrimp (usually found in Asian markets), and chicken.  You can also add fresh shrimp, sausages, okra, and anything else that suits your fancy.  You bring all of this to a boil, then let it simmer for a couple of hours or until the meat is "falling apart" tender.

Voila!

That's it!

Grab a bowl of rice, and pour the gumbo over it.

Yummy!

It's especially nice when it's cold outside, but in Southeast Texas (where I'm from) and Southern Louisiana, it's served all year long, even in the hot, humid summers.

I looked online for a recipe to share, but most of them included things I don't use, like white or yellow onions (I use green onions or scallions), garlic (Never!  I can't stand the smell of it), celery, and tomatoes (nope and nope).

But this is what makes this dish unique.  It's easy to make it yours by adding or deleting ingredients.

Experiment.  Have fun with it.

But do try it.  It's worth the effort.

Bon appétit!