What an End!

It is the end of 2008. All I can say is "Wow."

I was invited by one of my Yemeni co-workers to go out for a Yemen lunch. We sat on the floor and lots of food was brought. There was soup, a fresh tomato base puree with a vinegar taste, salad with lemon and large flatbreads. Fish cooked whole (with the head, but sliced open), seasoned chicken and the very best was the lamb. It was cooked in a small pot creating a broth soup and the meat that simply fell off the bone. There was rice and a sweetened dish of thickened pudding of banana, ground nuts and ? It was all very good. The Yemen eating style is similar to the Ethiopian style of eating with your hands and fingers, but they were kind enough to give me silverware.

For New Year's Eve some friends asked us to go to the Souk at the Shangri-La Hotel, to a South African restaurant called The Meat Company. Of course they specialize in South African Steaks. We sat outside, water side with a great view of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque (pictures 1 2 ). It is one of the largest mosque in the world and, I think, still under construction. I have seen it much more beautiful than these photos and will take some.

One thing about dining out in Abu Dhabi is the waiter will never bring you the check unbidden. You can sit at your table in leisure until you are ready to leave. The 5 of us had a great meal with wine, champagne and loads of food. We left satiated and tired. As I dozed off to sleep, the Venezuelan family a few doors down rung in the new year with fireworks and noise makers!

Happy New Year to you.