This past week there was the Abu Dhabi Science Festival.  The city sets up two locations in the city (one is on the beach!) and fills them with wonderful hands on science experiences.  Trevor loved every minute of it! The boys even got to build and launch a rocket!  I hope the video loads - short but it shows their work in motion.

We need more cowbell!

Bryan was here for a visit and added his two cents about how the rocket should be created.

Trying his hand at scissors.  He thought they were easier without using the handles.

Waiting for his turn to lauch.

The countdown 5....4.....3....2....1....

 

Robot racing!

One of the mascots for the festivals

The other mascot

Showing off his cool rocket!

When we first arrived back in the U.A.E our schedule was a bit off.  Trevor was waking up nice and early (4 am) so took the opportunity to head to the grocery store when it is not crowed.  I also took the chance to take some photos of the incredible fruit and vegetable section.  

When we arrived here in February we were unsure of what the fruit and vegetable choices would be.  We were floored when we came upon this! The choices are unbelievable!  Also in addition to the large selection at this store there are small fruit and vegetable stores around the city that are also filled with a great selection of fruit.  One "myth" to leave behind - You won't find a good variety of fruit and vegetables in the Middle East.

One of two sections full of dried spices and nuts.  

The fabulous fruit and veggie section! 

Love all of the colors!

A dragon fruit!  We had heard of them and thought we would try one. 

The inside of a dragon fruit.  We were surprised by how bright it was!  It had a peachy taste with  a texture like a kiwi.

Don't Believe Everything You See On T.V.

... As the weather has started to cool (the high is now between 99-101 degrees F) we took advantage and walked to our favorite corner Lebanese restaurant where Trevor is whisked away by the staff for affectionate hugs and given a tour of the kitchen.  He is passed around from one employee to the next and by the time we are ready to leave he has warmed to them again and runs to their open arms so he can be thrust into the air over and over again.  When we were finished we decided to walk down the sidewalk to enjoy the evening air and take in the local sights.  We came upon a large crowd of semi-locals(there really are very few true locals here) gathered on the sidewalk outside of one of the shops, all were waving their hands and talking loudly.  We paused to determine whether it was safe to continue and decided to cross the parking lot to walk on the sidewalk on the other side.  Being vigilant and mindful of recent events in the Middle East Matt took Trevor in his arms in case things were less than friendly ahead.  As we approached we were not only relieved but also sheepishly embarrassed to witness the large group gathered around the plate glass windows of the local Salon watching a riveting game of cricket on the 19 inch Television in the corner of the shop!  We have had many inquiries as to our safety over here and I know that many of the news stations would have you to believe that everywhere East of the U.S. shoreline is wrought with conflict over the recent developments....  While I do not want to underscore our own concerns or cautions that we take, we have not been greeted with anything but open arms and compassionate agreements from people that hail from all over the world.  We are so fortunate to live in a place where many different nationalities have learned to co-exist and make the most of the opportunities that abound here.  Over the last 4 weeks since we have been back nearly 9 out of 10 of our taxi drivers have been from Pakistan, a country (who on the news) appears to have nothing but hatred for Americans and many other Western influences.  So it was with cautious reservation that we encouraged Trevor to continue to ask our Taxi drivers where they were from, one of his favorite activities to learn world geography while taking our short taxi rides from the store.  Instead of the expected cold shoulder or worse from any one of our taxi drivers, each and every one smiled with warm affection when Trevor confidently responded in his loudest voice that he is from American and California.  Some went so far as to give him the rest of their candy or part of their tip money to show that there was no animosity what-so-ever between the individuals that we are here.  It was a refreshing experience time after time when the news only wants to show and inflame the hatred on both sides of the world.  One of my favorite responses was from a Pakistani cab driver who cheerfully exclaimed "CHiPS" when he heard we were from California.  He was probably just a little bit older than we were and said it was one of his favorite T.V. shows when he was growing up many years ago... who would have thought "CHiPS" was being aired half way around the world in Pakistan 30 years ago!!  There are places that are very unsafe throughout the region but we are continuously blessed to know that this is not one of them.  Thank you again for all of the thoughts and prayers.  We truly do appreciate each and every one.

We have been back in the U.A.E. for a few weeks and have found a few things that we missed while being gone.  The smell of incense burning outside of the businesses in the mall, the barrels full of spices lined up in the market, the smiles on the taxi drivers face when they are asked "Where you from?" by a three year old.

I got to thinking what are a few things that I miss about California

Trees that change colors with the seasons
The crisp morning air
Soft, smooth wheat bread
The smell of the mountains
Chai tea and pumpkin spice flavor from Starbucks
A clothes dryer
Real Mexican food
Drying my hair in the bathroom while looking in a mirror
Hopping in the car and taking a drive
Hugs and kisses from family and friends

Well, the above will have to wait until next summer unless someone wants to send over an aspen tree :)





 

  Almost every major street in Abu Dhabi are lined with date palm trees.  About two months ago date clusters started to grow and a short time after the workers went and covered each bunch of growing dates with some sort of net.  Not just some of the trees have the nets - ALL OF THEM!  On the highway, small streets, major streets, parking lots - Everywhere!  I was told the dates will be ripe and start to fall off the tree about September.

 This is the lot next to our building.  We are truly living in a construction zone.  Out our window we are watching the neighboring buildings go up.  The other night I looked out the window and there was a line of 20 concrete trucks with more joining the line.  It was a constant line of trucks for most of the tight. I feel very fortunate that we are on the 17th floor and up above most of the noise.

Found a great shop in the mall full of wonderful rugs, plates, pictures, lamps and a nice "runway" to keep Trevor busy while we shopped.  I love little kids in overalls but this will probably be the last picture of them.  Potty Training is in full force and overalls are not training friendly.

Ahhh Father's Day.  Nothing says traditional "American?" Father's Day like a trip to Ferrari World.  While the hour long wait to get in was not the highlight of the day, once we were inside it was not all that crowded.  This is the largest amusement park in the region, all based on the legacy of Ferrari.  Erin was fortunate enough to have been granted a rare Sunday off that happened to fall on Father's Day so it was really a no brainer where we were headed for the day.  Even though the fastest roller coaster in the world was the main attraction here we opted against standing in line for over 3 hours to get our chance--next time we go this will be our first stop!  While Trevor could not ride the big rides there was enough to look at that it justified his free ticket for the day.  His favorite parts were the wind tunnel and the palyground in the middle of the theme park.  Every aspect of this park, with the exception of a couple roller coaster tracks is indoors so the summer heat was of no concern.  Nothing better than a relaxed day in a massive air-conditioned building with Ferrari's all around!