School Starts at DAA for Both Girls

School officially started on August 25th for Anna and Kate. The exciting part this year is that they are both in the same school: Dubai American Academy (DAA)! Kate gets to wear a school uniform as well. They both start at the same time: 7:45am, but finish differently so I end up making two trips in the afternoon (Noon and 2:45pm).

Anna is now in first grade. We were lucky as her teacher, Ms. Natalie, from last year moved up to teach first grade. It was very reassuring to Anna to have the same teacher and the same room. Most of her classmates are new though and she is busy making friends with all of them.

Kate is in the equivalent of the Pre-Kindergarten year, which is mandatory in Dubai. She has a fabulous teacher named Ms. Rania, who has two young children at DAA as well. Rania is part Egyptian and Lebanese, but she grew up in Saudia Arabia. She just completed her Master's Degree from Phoenix Univeristy in the U.S.

In addition, you'll see a photo of the girls with one of my dear friends, Allyson Collins (pink shirt). She just became a new teacher at DAA and we stop in every day to give her a hug or a muffin or just a big smile. It's fun to see her every day now. She's an Australian who happened to have lived in Minnesota-- twice!

Our New Digs on the Palm Island

So hot and humid the camera lens is steamed!

We have moved to lower ground since our arrival back in Dubai this summer. While our location on the 19th floor in the Marina was good, this opportunity to live on the Palm Island (six floor only) could not be missed mainly for the family-friendly factor. The beach, swimming pools and playgrounds are right across the street. The girls and I spend our afternoons turning into prunes coated in sand. Currently, there are three man-made Palm Islands under construction along the coast of the UAE. Though currently the Palm Jumeirah Island that we live on is the largest man-made island in the world, it will be dwarfed in the next few years when the other two are completed. The Diera Palm, when finished, will have more square footage than the city of Paris! In addition, we are watching the construction of the Trump Tower and Atlantis Hotel among other residential and commercial buildings. Construction never slows around here, and we tend to look past the cranes and building sites that are not in the least bit pretty. If you are interested in more information about the development of the Palm Islands and how they are being built, you can visit this wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Islands . There's an amazing satelite photo of the Palm Island from space. You'll be able to see how immense this thing is.

We have much more space in our new apartment as well. It is perfect for entertaining and we have three extra beds. Hint, hint: we can comfortably host guests should you show up on our doorstep! We dare you--

It was great to see you all this summer even if it was for just a short time. Thank you for warmly welcoming us back into your lives.

Steve, Maria, Anna, and Kate

Ramadan and Iftar Dinner

Ramadan Kareem. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on September 1 and we are enjoying learning about its customs and meaning. Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is believed to be the month when the Qur’an was revealed to the Angel Gabriel, who then revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a deeply spiritual month. During Ramada Muslims fast and do not eat or drink between fajr, morning prayer, and Maghrib, the fourth daily prayer. We will try to fast one day this month to better appreciate the experience. The daily fast is broken at an evening meal called Iftar.

We decided to prepare an Iftar dinner for the Said family at our home on the Palm. We timed the meal to be ready at 6:32 p.m., the published time for Maghrib. We watched Sharjah T.V. which broadcasts the shooting of a cannon signaling when the fast can be broken. We followed tradition by serving dates and juice first, followed by soup, salad and a main course of beef tenderloin. The Saids brought traditional Arabic sweets for desert. It was a lovely evening.