Our Eid Break

We have time off for this entire week for the Eid holiday. We weren’t nearly as adventurous this Ramadan. We mostly stayed home rather than explore in the heat so it has been a treat to get out again. We ventured to Deira City Centre Mall on Monday. It is a basic mall and they have a pretty nice play area where the kids can go on rides all day long. The kids played in the amusement park and Rick and I wandered around. We were very excited to find yarn for Zoe’s knitting kit. We have been looking for almost a year – and we finally found it in a bookstore!!!



Because we found a sand shovel for Chase, he was desperate to go to the beach yesterday. We packed up yesterday and spent a few hours there. The kids spotted a small jellyfish and Rick managed to catch it in their sand pail. I don’t know how they saw it because it was clear. Anyway, it was intriguing to watch it swim around. The temperature was only 39 degrees – but a couple of hours was enough sun and heat for us. Taking a dip in the gulf is not as refreshing as you would imagine because the water is as warm as a hot bath (plus we kept an eye out for jellyfish).

An Update

Chase is losing his teeth at a furious pace. He lost one the other day and it seemed that a second one would fall out within hours. However, it was stubborn - he twisted and tugged and it stayed in. It was even hanging in sideways for a while. One morning, I thought everyone else was still asleep as I went to the shower. Suddenly, I heard a yell of excitement and I figured it had finally come out. Chase recounted the details a bit later. He said that he was talking and he closed his mouth before saying something else and his tooth just came out! I asked who he was talking to, since I was pretty sure Zoe and Rick were still asleep. Chase put his head down and admitted that he was talking to himself.

We have decided that even though we live in an apartment, we should try and participate in one of our favourite hobbies - gardening. We have bought a few pots and have started a mini veggie and herb garden - tomatoes, basil, chives and cilantro. When the weather cools we'll be able to put them on the deck.

Speaking of weather, it is still very hot. The daily lows are about 33 with highs up to 43. Add to that the humidity and it feels like over 47. Depending on my Ramadan schedule, I am still walking to and from work. It is like exercising in a sauna! I don't remember from last year, but people keep telling us that it will cool in October. Apparently there have been some unseasonal rain storms in Fujeirah (an emirate to the north of Dubai) the last few days. We see the clouds, but no moisture comes our way.

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe we have been married for 19 years!

Back into the routine

We spent most of the remainder of the summer at home and out of the Dubai summer heat. We did go to a water park one day.
Aquadventure is a new water park at the Atlantis Hotel out on the Palm Jumeirah. The landmark slide is the Leap of Faith where you slide down an almost vertical slide and into the shark infested lagoon at the bottom. Once you get near the bottom you are in a completely enclosed clear tunnel where the sharks and other fish live. When I went down I was too scared from the free fall to open my eyes, so I missed that part. Zoe did it twice, once with me and once with Rick. Unfortunately, Chase is about 2 cm too short so he couldn't try. Zoe and I went back on a much more serene slide where you end up slowly going through the aquarium. The water park also has some amazing "river rides" - one that goes through a series of rapids and a second that takes you along massive waves.

I had to be back at work on August 16th and the kids started school this past Sunday. Ramadan started on August 22nd so we are adjusting back to the routine with shortened Ramadan hours.