Cyclone Phet

Apparently, neighboring Oman has been hit by Cyclone Phet (similar to a hurricane). The cyclone, which hit the capital city of Muscat had sustained average winds of 120 mph and dumped quite a bit of rain. Approximately a dozen people have died due to flooding.

In a place where people see so little rain, they are unprepared for, and do not understand the danger of, rushing waters; taking chances they should never take. Also, because this area sees so little rain, the city's "drainage system" is virtually non-existent.

I did not even know this happening (we don't have the weather channel or even local TV news) until someone told me that people in Al Ain were warned of a storm surge. The person who told us this was given a lot of humorous grief because Al Ain is a land locked city 1,300 meters above sea level...she is still learning her local geography.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

There are nuggets of wisdom that we learn as we live. Finn Sisu had several that were oft repeated. One that is steady on my mind at this time is just how important it is to cherish today. Living in the past, thinking of what was and no longer is steals our ability to appreciate the blessings we currently enjoy. And always looking for the achievements, goals of the future can rob us of the same.
We cannot mourn yesterday or yearn for tomorrow without taking time out from today.
My dad hugged me at one of the lowest points of my life and said, "No matter what it is, it will change." The wisdom of that statement is that if it is bad, it has to get better because nothing stays the same. The flip side is that if it is good, it will probably get worse.
I suppose our job as humans is to sing when we are on the mountain tops, wail when in the valleys, and remember both when we are on the road of ambivalence.

No Focus

I'm counting down the days to my departure and having a really tough time concentrating on anything for very long. Not much holds my interest for very long and I'm easily distracted. I am trying to prepare myself emotionally, mentally and spiritually for the upcoming roller-coaster-ride. I don't see how it could be anything less than. I will do what I can to minimize the change, but moving jobs, moving home, living out of suitcase for a month, leaving behind what has become familiar and moving to the unfamiliar is stressful-even if it is something you signed up for.
The best I can do is to keep a check on myself and try to manage how I respond to the inevitable unpredictable. Remember the saying "...even the best laid plans."

ATM Dispenses Gold

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Only in Abu Dhabi would there be a vending machine that dispenses pieces of Gold-and there is.

Installed just this month in the Grand Lobby of the Emirates Palace Hotel (self-proclaimed 7 Star) is a machine that will give you small pieces of gold pressed into coins and tiny "gold bars" of approximately 0.05 grams. Pretty small, but still expensive. The price you pay per ounce is slighter higher than the gold rate of the day, but it comes in a beautiful gift box.
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The machine was cleaned out in only a few short hours the first day it was opened.

Fabric Adoption Party

I have discovered that people who travel a lot, move a lot can become a bit eccentric about strange things that they simply must have, in spades. One of my friends here is very serious about clothing and shoes. She has turned one entire bedroom into a closet/dressing room; a small office serves as her shoe room. She spent a lot of time in Asia where having items custom made for you is very inexpensive plus she sews clothes for herself, too. As a result she purchases a lot of fabric, much of it still on the bolts. It lines the walls of her sewing room, dining room and half her hallway-floor to ceiling.
We all regularly razz her about it, because she will tell us about this new fabric she bought. So she decided to have a fabric adoption party where she would allow her friends to come select anything they wanted as long as they promised to actually have clothing made of it.
What an absolute sight we were-15 women eating brunch and pawing through all her fabrics. One lady cut fabric solidly for about 3 1/2 hours.
I came away with two armful loads of some of the neatest fabrics. I got pink/cream hounds tooth tweed (skirt suit), black sequined (cocktail dress), Chinese silk brocades (fitted dress), the perfect red twill (sheath dress), dark blue/white dot rayon (full skirted summer dress) and so much more...there's linens, silks, shantung, chiffon, cottons, formal fabrics, casual, fabrics for skirts, jackets, pants, even proper broadcloth to have a perfect white shirt made. I have to admit she’s rubbing off on me. I have had several items made for me because it is just so cheap here, plus shopping is pretty poor.
EVERYONE left with loads of stuff and she was left disappointed that we didn't even get into several (like 20) full chest sized bins.
We had so much fun! I simply cannot believe how much and the quality of what I have been given for free. We are planning to put money into a pot to pay for her to have a spa weekend retreat-what a wonderful gift to us.

Not Much Going On

You haven't heard from me because there simply is not much to say. 
The weather is now 100 degrees, wind blows and the sky is dusty most all the time.
Just like everyone else, I had to get my taxes done, still have clothes to wash, dishes to clean, shopping and cooking to do.  Pretty mundane ordinary things.
I'm going through all my things and paperwork, beginning to prepare for a move.  'Vid would laugh because I still clean like I used to and now I don't have my own dumpster...plus I give a lot of things away when I clean like this and there's no Goodwill close by. 
I have lost some weight and have clothing too big, books that have been read and CDs that I have transferred to Ipod-but, of course, I have bought a singing bowl, a Yemeni hat, many scarves and some nice pieces of jewelry during my stay.
If you are interested in having exquisitely crafted silk, cashmere or pashmina scarves-now is the time to speak.

Speeding Tickets

The friends who know me well are NOT going to believe this!!!  I just checked my ticket status-I have NONE!!!  No speeding tickets for me!  I've been tooling around town for a year and half and have not gotten one ticket - it is actually quite shocking to me.

We shall see if it holds true, or if the "system" just hasn't posted them yet.  When I check out of the country I will have to pay all fines or bills.  If there are any they will be produced at that time.