Up Close & Personal

As I was sitting at my computer in my office at home yesterday, I saw this herd of camels in the parking lot.  I rushed out and watched them for about a half hour. They're amazing animals.  I stayed as long as I did because my phone was updating, so I couldn't use it, so I hung out until it was ready because I just had to get pictures.

Enjoy!

This is the parking lot of my apartment complex,

and this is my school.  I am literally next door to it.

There were four adults and four babies.
I haven't seen any this young before.

I saw this herd today.
They were interesting because of the black ones.
They are rare indeed.

Strong Voice

Is anyone listening?

Spike Lee lets loose on gentrification in New York City.  Read the transcript and/or listen to the audio at the end of the article.

What do you think?

Is it progress, and if so, at what cost?

Or it is, as Spike implies, another example of the "Christopher Columbus Syndrome," with folks "discovering," and claiming as theirs, what's always been there.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/02/spike-lee-amazing-rant-against-gentrification.html

Hitting Close to Home

This protest happened in New York, but it's all about what's happening here in Abu Dhabi.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/guggenheim-protest-new-york-abu-dhabi-labor_n_4843947.html

A Different Perspective

This young woman has a revealing viewpoint on volunteering abroad.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pippa-biddle/little-white-girls-voluntourism_b_4834574.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black+Voices

Qualities This Employer is Looking For

This is a very interesting article on the qualities that Google looks for in their job applicants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-to-get-a-job-at-google.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0

Ben's Work

This is another proud momma moment:

Ben is quoted in the article linked below, about half way down.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/to-help-trucks-burn-less-fuel-streamline-trailers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+energy-and-sustainability+(Topic:+Energy+%26+Sustainability)

Milu's Turn

This is Ben's baby girl walking to school.

I love her sense of wonder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRM7z8psIqo&feature=youtu.be

Yes, this is another proud grandma moment.

Run Squirrel Run!

Squirrels look way too  much like rats with fluffy tails, but I couldn't help but cheer for this little dude.  Any little ones in your world would probably like this one, too.

Check him out.

Hat tip to Forrest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBEyCr5AoIs#t=66

Dirty Old Men

Is it ever OK for a man to marry his daughter? Step-daughter? Adopted daughter? Any man thinking about doing this should be thrown under the jail, and yet when a man does, in fact do just this, everyone turns a blind eye because he's a celebrity?

Bullshit!

Total and complete bullshit!

This describes Woody Allen's relationship with his daughter/wife.

Totally disgusting!

And now we hear from another daughter who said she was abused by Allen.  I don't understand why this is such a stretch from some folks to comprehend.  He was screwing this girl's sister!  Is it so outrageous to think that he might be doing something very wrong to this girl, too?

God bless this young woman for speaking out.  She is definitely going against the grain and will need all of the support that can be muster to go against this shameless, sadistic prick!

I have had an absolute ban on all Allen's movies for years.  I avoid them at all cost.  I don't want to see anything his perverted mind has conjured up, or is in any way involved in.

If this guy was any "Joe Blow" on the street, he would have been hung out to dry a long time ago.  Because he is a celebrity, we look the other way?

Shame on us.

The dude is a creep.

A CREEP I say!

And, according to more than a few women, so is Bill Cosby.

What is it about people men with power, real or imagined, that makes them think they are invincible?

As my beloved Mom would say, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."  How many women have not spoken up?  I'm guessing there's probably more than few of them, too.

I pride myself on being able to cuss with the best of 'em, one of the benefits(?) of being around men all my life, but I've made a conscious effort for that side of me not to spill over in these posts, until now.

For those of you who are offended by my language, my apologies.

There are times, though, when nothing else will do, and today is one of those days.

WOW!

My love for Samuel L. Jackson is well documented.

Here's why I love him even more.

Enjoy!

Hat tip to Tiff and Shana for keeping a sista in the loop.

Zadie Singing to Grandma Faye

Too precious!

Notice the imaginary conversation she is having with me before the song.

I know.  I know.

I'm "that" grandma, always bragging about my girls, but this "grandma thing" is just too good not to share.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9W51tmS0UQ&feature=em-share_video_user

Behaving Badly

The following is an insightful article on the media and how stories are framed.

It's definitely worth the read.

http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/02/white_men_mess_up_and_all_is_forgiven.html?wpisrc=obinsite

Did You Know, Part 2

Click on the following link for even more fascinating facts about African-Americans, during this Black History Month.
 
Hat tip to Forrest.

http://www.pinterest.com/angela4forever/vintage-black-beauty-history/

Did You Know?

The slideshow below is of African-American women who were the first in their field.

Very informative.

Many of these ladies were new to me.

http://www.makers.com/blog/african-american-womens-firsts-part-one-photo-gallery

Beware!

If you're a cheating husband, hide all sharp objects from your wife.  That's the message from police.  Notice, there's no condemnation of the cheating.

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/abu-dhabi-wife-stabs-cheating-husband-with-kitchen-knife-over-alleged-affair?utm_source=Communicator&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=%5b%5bADMC_THENATIONAL_LT.ADMC_THENATIONAL_LT.LATEST_NEWS_SUBJECT%3a%3a%7b1%7d%3f%3fThe+National+Newsletter%5d%5d

Old School Cool

Sit back.

Turn your speakers up,

And

Enjoy this trip on the . . .

Soul Train.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/12-mind-blowing-soul-train-performances-20140205

Another Reminder

This article was published a week or so ago, but I saved it because I knew I wanted to write about it.  It's about a man who was found dead in an emergency room after being there for eight hours waiting to be seen.

http://www.salon.com/2014/01/26/man_found_dead_after_8_hour_er_wait/?source=newsletter

I was reminded of Ben's accident.

He had been discharged from the trauma center where he spent the first month after the accident.  He was then sent to a rehab hospital, and after a month there, he had used up all of the allotted time that his insurance would cover, so he was headed to a nursing home.  The problem was, he couldn't hold food down, and this had been going on for a couple of weeks.  We were told that whatever it was, it would pass.

It didn't.

Side note - I know I said this many times before, but you never want to see your child in a nursing home.  Under the best of conditions, it's a way station for people in the final days of their lives.

By this time, Frankie and I were taking turns staying with Ben.  I had to return to California to work, so Frankie moved nearby.  The kindness of an amazing man and his family, who paid for a residence hotel for us, made this possible.   Frankie had to return home for a funeral, so he was boarding a flight  back to California as I was headed to Texas.  I spoke to him as he was leaving, and he warned me about Ben's condition and how emaciated he was, but it was still shocking to see how much his health had declined since I'd seen him two weeks before.

Now I knew enough about the hospital system to know that the quality of his care would probably have diminished considerably once he left this rehab hospital, so any medical issues needed to be addressed while he was there.

The hospital's plans were different from mine.  They were going to discharge him to the nursing home, in his current state of not being able to hold down food for weeks, but I absolutely refused to accept that.  I got on the phone and spoke with "everybody and his brother" to get Ben the help he needed.

Thankfully, it was agreed that he would go to the emergency room of the trauma center where he was initially.  He was transported there via ambulance.  Once he got there, we waited for twenty-four hours before he was seen.

Twenty-four hours!

During that time Ben was hungry and literally begged for food, but he couldn't have any because they suspected he might have to have surgery.

He did, but later.

It was a tough time of waiting, and hoping for some help.

This article reminded me how grateful I am, that through this incredibly painful journey, Ben was not alone.  Frankie or I were there for him, and some many others were there for us.

I shutter to think of the outcome if he had been alone.

Where Have You Been Faye?

It's been a while since I've posted, but if I wrote every time I thought about it, there would have been a truckload of posts.

I've been really busy at work, and because I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I've been continuing to work when I get home.  My current role has me teaching more.  I'm teaching the teachers.  Because we come from so many different places (the UK, Ireland, and the US - Atlanta, Chicago, Pennsylvania, San Diego, and Miami), each with it's own pedagogy, it's important that we're all working from the same playbook, and are on the same page, in the way we do things.

The other reason I've lallygagged in writing is that things move really slowly here, so there isn't that much to talk about.

I suppose I could mention I'm really sharpening my skills when it comes to speaking to native Arabic speakers and getting them to understand what I need or want. (There are fewer folks here who speak English).  Mostly it involves persistent questioning because nine times out of ten they have what I need, I just have to get them to understand what I what I'm asking for.  In doing this, I'm picking up some Arabic words.

I could also mention that the men who wear the long gown-like garments (the kandura), that is almost always white, are now wearing dark colors - browns, grays, even black.  These are made from heavier material for the cooler weather.

I could mention, that for the ladies, they are really layering doing these cool days. They are always fully dressed under their abayas (in the UAE these long robe-like dresses are always black, no matter the season), but they sometimes add leggings under everything else and add coats and sweaters on top of that.

I could also mention that I live in one of two apartment complexes that houses the teaching staff of the various schools in the area.  I am the only Western staff member living in these buildings.  Everyone else is from Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern countries.  The other Western staff live about 60 miles away. They commute by bus (provided by the school system) three hours a day.  The town that they live in is called Ruwais, and it is bigger, with more people, a beautiful hotel, and has more creature comforts.  A new mall just opened there that is the talk of the town.  When given a choice though between commuting three hours a day or staying in this town, there was absolutely no contest.  I choose Al Selaa (or Al Sila, Al Sela'a, or Al Sila'a) and I'm glad I did.  Housing is scarce in all of the Western Region, so the teachers share housing (three to an apartment).  They would have to share whether they lived here or in Ruwais.  The hiccup with my getting here was that approval had to be made for me to live alone.  It would have not been kosher to live with someone that I evaluate.

So, that's it.  It's not much but . . .

It is what it is.

All in all, life is good.

Here's hoping all is well in your world.

Birds Eye View

Fascinating perspective of cities and places around the world.

Hat tip to Forrest.

http://pixtale.net/2013/12/how-our-world-would-look-if-you-were-a-bird/

On the Road Again

I was on the road again, traveling back to Al Ain, where I go once a month to I get my hair colored (vanity thy name is Faye), pick up packages, etc.

It reminds me of living in the country, and every now and then getting the chance to go into town.  It was a big deal then, and it's still a big deal now.

The amazing thing to me, is the traffic, both automobile and people, that seemed so much faster and so much more than I remember.  Maybe it's just my life here has slowed down so much.

Someone asked me what I do here in Al Sila (alternately spelled Al Sela'a, Al Sila'a, Al Selaa; there's no consistency in the spelling, even on official documents) for fun.  I responded that I do the same thing here, that I did in Al Ain, and in Sacramento . . . I surf the net reading current events.  If you're not mindful, you can easily loose track of what is happening outside your immediate world.  I read books and magazines, and every now and then, watch television, usually something from Hulu or Netflix.

Side note - it's been a minute since I last posted.  Work has been crazy busy, in a good way.  I'm discovering talents I didn't know I have.

Speaking of work, I headed out in a bit, so in closing . . .

Good night to you.

Good morning to me.