Wish I Had a Camera Moment #1,467,298

Alternately Titled: I Left My Eagle at Home

I don't bring my camera along as much as I should. Anyway it's kind of slow, and usually by the time it's up and running the photo op is long gone.

Tonight would have been just one of those experiences, and boy would I have liked to have had my camera at the ready:

I was standing outside my apartment building waiting for a friend from church, when one of the building's residents came walking towards the front doors carrying his pet. This maybe doesn't appear so out of the ordinary as us Westerners are used to walking dogs, and sometimes even cats on a rare occasion (that I mostly witnessed in France). This Arab guy was carrying his falcon. I do know that falconry was a popular sport in the region, I just never thought I'd see a guy take his bird for a nice evening stroll. (I don't know why he was carrying the bird around on his arm, but he walked like it was the most natural thing to do.)

Yes I stared. I had to get that mental picture because obviously I didn't have my camera.

How Good Do I Have to Be to Get...

...this totally adorable half-apron in Christmas print from Cath Kidston? How good do I have to be to get anything from her Web site? I swear, Santa, I've been a super good girl this year.

I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas

I am sure you will all recall being a child and eagerly anticipating that certain change of weather that the winter months bring. Most assuredly our eyes searched the heavens for at least one snowflake--any sign that meant that school could be closed the next day. Being in the desert the kids don't really get to experience the joy of falling snow. I imagine it's probably hard for the expat kids (who know about snow) to hear songs like "White Christmas" or "Let it Snow" without looking towards the heavens for a weather-related Christmas miracle, instead of the fake stuff at Ski Dubai.

And now that we are adults, even though we know what hassles the snow can bring, we can't help but feel a little giddy about the first snowfall of the year, especially when accompanied by the elated shouts of a kid greeting the flakes with a jubilant "It's snowing!!"

And I thought I would miss that feeling here.

This last week, the weather has finally turned chilly enough for me to reach for a sweatshirt for my walk to work. The clouds started to cover the sky, and the wind has picked up. We even had a sandstorm that caused the city to appear encased in fog. It is almost like a good winter.

Yesterday after church, while chatting with friends, the feet of a few boys thundered to the nearest window. Without even a word, one could sense that they were excited about something going on outside. Almost in unison they proclaimed, "It's raining!" and quickly headed for the exit to go play in the rain. My own heart leapt in excitement. Rain! It's finally raining!

Oh sure, you can't build rain-forts, have rainball fights, or make rain angels, but when you haven't seen a drop of precipitation since March the first rainfall somehow feels a lot like snow. And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish my work and get outside. There are some puddles to jump in!

Back to Dubai

I've spent a good amount of time not talking about Dubai, and now that I've finished my vacation I can start talking about where I am living currently. And since today in the 38th National Day, I thought I would celebrate by sharing some cultural aspects of this oh so patriotic holiday.

The 38th National Day fell one week after Eid, which in the Islamic world is a pretty important holiday. No, it's not Ramadan, but it does celebrate the pilgrimage to Mecca that is an important pillar in the Islamic faith. However, if you have been Dubai this past week, you would not have noticed any of the Eid celebrations, but you would see preparations for National Day. Excuse me, the 38th National Day.

One of the biggest traditions is car decorating. People will dress up their very expensive cars in stickers and streamers and then parade around town with all of their friends shooting off fireworks and spraying silly sting. Here's a video clip to show you what the cars look like:

Happy 38th National Day!

Part Four: Signs

The best part of my trip to London was spending time with Corina. She moved to London over a year ago to get her Master's Degree. When she finished, she had every intention of returning to the States to spend time with the people who represent a safe haven. However, she realized that she needed to stay in London. Now she is my biggest cheerleader to get me to stay in the UK permanently.

It should be no surprise to most people that know me well that I have a huge desire to live in England. It could be because I've spent too many hours watching BBC miniseries, but the truth is I've been daydreaming about this since I was little. Maybe it was Charles & Diana's wedding. Maybe it was a copy of the Friend magazine that was entirely devoted to that small country. All I know is that I want to be there. So my good friend spent my last and final day of vacation pointing out that I was meant to be in England.

#1 Who doesn't like tweed? Who doesn't like a totally British older couple dressed head to toe in tweed? How is this a sign? Not sure, except for the totally British scene.

#2 Free Museums. My original plan was to go check out the jewels at the Tower of London, which incidentally does cost money. Since I needed to be in South Kensington anyway I went to look at the jewels at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Unlike the many museums in New York that let you bypass the extraordinarily high ticket fees with a conscience-soothing "donation," the V&A is actually free. I could drop a few pence in the donation bucket if I so felt the urge, but it wasn't required for entry. (Also, this wasn't the special Target "free day" either.) We only had time for two of the exhibits, but that's what great about free museums, you can go again and again until you have had your fill.

#3The awesomest celebrity sighting EVER. Oh sure, I can use up all my digits counting the famous and notable folk I've seen in New York, but in England there is one class of celebrity that is a little hard to come by in the U.S.: royalty. After the V&A Corina and I serendipitously came upon a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Scandinavian restaurant. After we had seated ourselves and chosen our lunch items, I looked over to my right and saw Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York no farther than five feet away. (Yes, she got to keep the title.) I know!! Luckily with all my NYC celebrity sightings I was totally able to keep my cool. No, I didn't talk to her, that would be silly. But I saw her!!!

#4 There is that pretty yummy cupcake bakery I previously mentioned. You know, in case I ever need additional income. They also have pretty awesome packaging.

#5 While walking around the Temple area, from what I gather it is where a lot of legal stuff goes down, we saw some legal stuff going down. Or rather, we saw people in the full legal attire officially marching off to court in a very "Pomp & Circumstance" formality. American legal proceedings, except for the ones on TV, are usually not very interesting as this was. Especially where legal attire is concerned.

#6 My blood is here. Maybe part of the reason I want to be here is because of my ancestry. Check this out:

My friend Sarah actually found this place shortly after she moved to London. This Inn is not a form of hotel p.s.andbytheway. According to the short bit of research I've done, it is just building used for legal purposes...since about the 1400's. And it's pretty cool that it is still standing, and in use.

#7 Cadbury bars. Those Double Deckers are tasty.

All of the above and another quick walk long the Thames and I was sold. Sure I need to be an adult and everything, but I can so do that in England. And that heavy heart that I had when walking into the Dubai airport the following morning told me that at least rather be there than here.

Part Three: Sunday Peep Show

Corina's apartment complex is a group of small buildings clustered together in C-shaped groups of three throughout the area. Her small studio is rather roomy, it's size enhanced (most likely) by really big windows in the living room and in the bathroom. After my steamy shower in her shower-curtain-less bathroom, I decided to open the window just slightly to de-fog the mirrors and let the steam out. A slight breeze latched onto the window and it opened. All. The. Way. There I stood, in my birthday suit, wondering what I should do. Especially since I left my towel on the other side of the bathroom--requiring me to pass by the open window to retrieve it. Problem.

Crouching down I surveyed the area, and didn't see anyone walking about in front of their large windows. I felt confident enough that no one would see me as I streaked across the bathroom. So off I went, crouching down, to get my towel. Then, not thinking, I wrapped that towel around me while standing, and while facing the great outdoors. I prayed that no one saw me.

At church, we had what I consider my favorite Sunday of the year: Primary Program Sunday. This is where the kids sing songs and talk about all the things they learned at church throughout the year. This year the theme was "My Eternal Family," and the kids related their (good, positive) feelings for their families. The best part of these programs is the fact that these children are not trained performers so there will be one or two who "shine" differently than the other children. I was quite taken with one girl who obviously had no clue what they were singing. Oh, she would mouth the words with a very open mouth, but you could amusingly note that her mouth movements did not match the words to the songs. It was a classic Primary Program moment.

After being spiritually filled at church, we rushed home to eat lunch and get Gillian on her train back to Coventry. As we walked into Corina's complex a reddish BMW drove by with a couple of guys in it. They made a point of smiling, waving, and blowing kisses...at me. At first I thought back to how charming British men have been throughout my trip. Corina concurred (as she has had quite a bit of dating success there in England). Then it hit me like a big gust of cold air...they saw me. All of me. As I dashed all nakey across my friend's bathroom. Well, I'm glad they liked the show. (You didn't really think that I would escape that sort of dilemma without any repercussions, did you?)

My feet were still throbbing, and I welcomed a quiet Sunday afternoon at home. Plus I was a little embarrassed to leave the apartment in daylight. But, I was in England after all. If you have never had a chance to visit London, you should know that walking along the Thames is a must. Especially at night. That particular Sunday evening in late October was an ideal time for such a walk. Not only were Corina and I out there, but so was a nice handful of the London population.

The bus dropped us off by the famous Old Vic Theatre and we wandered westwards past Parliament and Big Ben. It made me really happy to be in a city where I could walk and sightsee. Dubai is not a pedestrian city. Even if it was, it is too hot to enjoy walking. It goes without saying that I enjoyed every step and every sight along the way...even if my blisters shouted in agony. If I had a crush on England before I visited, my feelings had developed into full-blown love.

Speaking of love, the final Sunday activity was to visit my friend and former roommate Sarah. Sarah left for England the same time I left for Beirut, only her experiences have turned out much better than mine. So good, in fact, that she met her husband a few short hours after arriving. It was nice to finally meet Jack. He seems very charming, and just the sort of fellow I would want my good friend to marry. Well done, Sarah.

Of course, it does make me wonder if I could be as lucky if I moved to England. I do have a couple of fellows in a reddish BMW that seemed quite taken with me...