January and February 2010

Well this is a mix of various thing we have done over the past two months. Including: walking the Yas Marina Circuit where the Formula 1 Race takes place, girls at the park, Evelyn at school, and what we did this weekend. Friday morning, we joined a huge crowd to walk for cancer research, the Fox Trot. It was a 10K walk along the corniche (beach walkway). We had a great time. It felt so good to do that long walk and I wished I had time to do that more often. After the walk we enjoyed a lunch at a cafe on the beach and some ice cream. We then headed home because we were all totally exhausted and all took a nice nap with the windows wide open and the beautiful breeze flowing through our villa. Friday was a great day. I have to mention also on Thursday night some great friends came over and brought chinese food. We enjoyed their company and the kids played. We ended the night with a very typical American thing...watching American Idol. Our friend's cable service doesn't have that channel so they have been missing out. Someone else has been coming around, Lulu the cat (Evelyn named her and Camille can say it so cute) That cat that wondered into our house a week or so ago has come back. She is very friendly and really nice to the girls. I like her, but not in the house. We cleaned one of the dog crates and made a nice bed for her in the garage and gave her some food. She doesn't stay all day, but always comes around at night for food. My neighbor informed me that she thinks Lulu is pregnant. OH boy, that is all we need. Once Evelyn heard that Lulu was going to have babies...well she is so excitted. I already have a litter to take care of inside the house, how am I going to take care of a litter outside. My plan is if she keeps hanging around then I will contact Strays of Abu Dhabi and see what I should do. I have such a love for animals I just can't bear to see this sweet little cat go unfed. If she wants to claim our garage her home then that is Ok with me. It is so cute how Camille says Lulu and she asks at least 10 times a day to go outside and check on Lulu. She points at the door and says "lululululululul". So cute.

Christmas 2010

Ok Ok Ok...I know I am late with these photos, but I thought better late then never. So here are the photos of the Delcambre Family Christmas vacation to Texas.

Remeber to click on the photo and it will bring you to the slide show.

Henna

This week my local neighbor took myself and two other western women to a local Arab Woman's Salon. In this salon the local women get their hair done, nails, and mostly "make henna". They will put this temporay tatoo on their tops of their hands as well as the palms. It will also go up the forearm. They also make the soles of their feet solid black and then put the intricate decorations up the sides of their feet and ankles. It is real common for them to make the tips of their fingers and toes solid black. The henna lasts about 1-2 weeks until it fades. They pipe it on, so it is a black puff paint like that the women (who are not arab)make the design with. They you have to let it dry completely, until it begins to crack and fall off. Then you can scrape the "puff paint" off and it leaves this redish, brownish, orangish temporay tatto they call henna. So my neighbor who is introducing us to thier customs brought us this week to "make henna". It was very interesting. I sat next to this women who was getting her feet done and already had her hands done the day before in preparation for a wedding this weekend. She said she was going to come back the next day to have it done again on top of the original design to make it darker. My intentions was to get something "simple" done. But my new arab friend (who by the way invited me to go to the wedding) kept telling the lady to put more. One of the ladies that came with us had to step over a women who had her feet propped letting the henna dry and this lady acidentially touched her toes. Oh gosh, I felt so bad for her. Thank goodness the henna was salvagable and the arab women was OK. We had a great local heritage experience and were very welcomed their. I am so thankful to my neighbor who brought us there.

Coffee and Cats

It has been a tough week without Lance, but the girls and I were so glad he came home last night. Now I have to gear up for his 10 day trip later this month. It is so funny how smooth things run here without him I must say. I think because it is all me, I really stay on top of the schedule. You would be so shocked to know that I have been experiencing internet problems this week as well. What is new? Oh and I should mention that I have a light not working down stairs. But that is part of living here, continuous maintenance. I think I have the extreme circumstances though.

Today I was invited to coffee and brunch to my next door neighbors house. She is a local woman and is the person responsible for making my experience here in Abu Dhabi so wonderful. She is one of the kindest people I know. She has been so generous to us, sending food or arabic coffee over. So the last time I went to her house I was one of two American women there with I think 6 Emirati women. Today, she invited some of the women from our street that I associate with the most. One is a women from South Africa and the other Dutch who is married to an American. So it was like a local woman inviting a crowd of Westerners over for brunch. She also invited her close friend who is American as well and married to an Emirate man. This American woman has lived here for 25 years. We had a wonderful time and learned so much about her culture, from cooking to what to wear to a wedding. We had a great time. Next week she is bringing us to a salon to "make henna" this is a temporay tatooing that local women will do to their hands and sometimes feet esp for special occasions. Too cool. She may also host a cooking class to teach us how to make some traditional dishes. YEah!!!! The best part about our day was the realization that we are all different, but very much the same. We all do the same things and worry about the same things. I really can not put into words what it is like to really see the world for what it is. And to really see people for what they are on the inside regardless of nationality or religion. Truely, we are all the same!! This experience has been so amazing.

This morning when I got home from bring Evelyn to school a familiar black and white cat was in my garage. I have seen this cat around often and it is really friendly. Well the cat followed Camille and I right into the house. We pet it a while and made it go outside so we could let the dogs out of the kitchen. When I went back to see if the cat left, there it was sitting on my doorstep. So I openned the door and put the baby gate up so the dogs couldn't get it and maybe they could see and get used to one another. Well that wasn't enought for "Kitty" and he/she jumped the gate and helped herself in regardless of the dogs barking at her. She checked out every room in our house as if she was looking for a place to stay. I think she could have taken a nap if Fraizer would have left her alone, Ruffles was too scared to get close. After about an hour I began to wonder if the cat belonged to someone or if the cat needed to use the bathroom. So I guided it out the door and we haven't seen it since. Maybe Kitty will come back tomorrow.

This week I started something new, I put Camille in Evelyn's bed and read bedtime stories to them together. Camille thinks she is soo big. She just squeels with delight to be in the big bed with Evelyn. After we read, then the girls tell each other goodnight and Camille goes to her bed and I tuck Evelyn into her bed. So Sweet.

Tonight we went out to eat for supper. During supper we were discussing moving back to Katy. Anytime Lance begins this discussion, and is around Evelyn, I try to include her and ask her opinion. We don't really know what lies ahead for us. Heck, if you asked me 1 1/2 years ago if I would be living in Abu Dhabi, I would have said "were is that" But we do hypothesis about the future and make it a family discussion. I think Lance is trying to feel me out to see what I would be willing to do. I tell him, I just got here and just got "settled" in. Well, I am getting off of the story. So we are including Evelyn in this discussion and I say "Evelyn, what do you think, do you want to move back to Katy?" and she replies "No, I want to see the world" It completely supprised Lance and I and even took our breaths away. She said it in such a mature way. It even brought a tear to my eye. What bravery.. Just another one of those moments that I can not put into words.."No, I want to see the world"

My Birthday

Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful birthday wishes. It made my day to see how many people wished me a happy birthday. Unfortunately, Lance was out of town on my birthday for work, but he returned the next day. Just as well because if any of you know me I don't just celebrate my birthday on that day, but I like to drag it on for the entire week. LOL. I spent Thursday evening with some good friends at the "Tips and Toes" spa. We all got manicures, pedicures, and head and neck massages. It was just what I was needing. We had a great evening.

The weather here in Abu Dhabi has been wonderful. I have described it to be like tropical paradise. All weekend we turned off the A/C and openned the windows. Being from the south, we have never done that before, but it was really refreshing and relaxing. We headed to Dubai on Friday evening for a little shopping at our favorite stops and hopes to check out the Dubai Shopping Festival Fireworks, but we didn't make it. Saturday, we hung out around the house and did our weekly grocery shopping. It was a nice day. Lance is out of town this week for work. (which is pretty common for this time of year) I will miss him.

I recieved a letter from Honda a month back stating that I needed to get a software upgrade to my van for a "lock-up clutch" problem. Basically my van has some slight vibration when I get around 60 miles per hour. It feels like it is missing. So I made an appointment to bring it in tomorrow. This should be interesting. I have heard that simple repairs can take a long time, over days. That is why I planned it this week, so I can drive Lance's car while mine is in the shop. First obstical is to find the repair shop. It is in the Mussafah area which is like an idustrial area. Second is being able to communicate with the repair man what exactly needs to be done. Then I will have to leave my van there ofcourse and get a taxi back to the house to get Lance's car. It should be an interesting day tomorrow. Oh by the way, Camille will be my side kick through all of this. Sounds fun!!! LOL.