J Marshall: Puppy Rescuer!

To start out with a quick side note... Today Dubai was hit by another shamal, complete with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning! Glad I wasn't on the boat =). The wind blew so hard that numerous roadside barricades were skidding out into traffic. We watched as countless workers frantically scrambled to retrieve the clumsy barricades, and struggled against the fierce wind gusts to keep them from moving further onto the roads. It was quite a sight! Too bad I didn't have my camera=P.

Onto the puppy rescue bit... We went to Fakih's Antique Museum (I can't help but giggle when I say the name out loud) today to do some Christmas shopping. This sprawling "museum" is hidden in a labyrinth of warehouses in the Al Quoz district. Unless someone shows you exactly where to go you would never find it! To enter the building, you climb through a maze of dusty furniture to a single glass door leading to an atrium. Once inside the atrium, you squeeze through a tiny set of intricately carved wooden doors, and find yourself in a narrow, dimly lit aisle of floor to ceiling shelves, crammed with every trinket imaginable. Countless lanterns and curios dangle overhead, and a thick layer of gray dust covers everything. Its difficult not to gape, open-mouthed at the thousands of objects crammed into every possible nook and cranny. After a few hours of shopping, and some decent bartering, we left, happy with our purchases (can't give any more detail than that- don't want to spoil any Christmas presents!). As we walked out of the building, our friends Lacey and Lee, called us over behind some cars where they had discovered a tiny puppy! Oh, was she CUTE!!! A tiny, blond creature, with a dainty little face, floppy ears, and a curled tail. She was huddled against the wall, quivering. Being the animal nut I am, I scooped her up immediately and gave her a good cuddle. Isaac made it very clear that I was NOT to try and rescue this puppy, because the K9 Friends organization may not have a foster family to take her. (This was what happened with Feline Friends, when we found Safa, so Isaac was rightly hesitant!) We girls spent several minutes trying to pressure each other into taking the puppy home, but ultimately made the heart-breaking decision to put her back where we found her. Agh! The pain! She even scampered hopefully along behind us as we returned to the car, furthering our agony!!! As soon as we got home I collected Safa for a vet appointment. Poor little guy's right ear has been bothering him for a few days, and he is now shaking his head constantly in discomfort. At the vet I mentioned finding the puppy and one of the receptionists told me that K9 Friends never turns away little puppies. She then offered to take the puppy in if I would bring her to the vet clinic! I was so elated I thought I would burst! We rushed home from the appointment (Safa will be okay, just needs some drops to heal up his ear), I picked up Lacey, and we excitedly set off to rescue our sweet little puppy.
By the time we made it back to Fakih's (hehe), it was pitch black out, and do you think either of us thought to bring a flashlight?! Argh! Note to self- keep a flashlight in the car! We stumbled around through the dark alley, whistling, calling, and making kissing noises for the puppy. After several minutes of searching we decided to ask some of the workers if they had a flashlight we could borrow. A woman approached us, as we peeked under the last few cars, and asked if we were looking for a puppy. I explained the situation, and the woman got a huge smile on her face. She lowered the bag she was clutching, and inside was the puppy! The woman was thrilled she had found us, because she didn't know what she was going to do with the puppy. She only knew she couldn't leave it on the street. We chatted with the woman and her friends about our good fortune in finding each other, before happily setting off with our little baby.
On the drive back we decided to stop by Lee's apartment to surprise her with the puppy. We called everyone we knew, and no one could tell us which apartment was Lee's. The Harts thought her apartment was on the 5th floor, and Teryl had been to it before (though she couldn't remember the exact number) so she lead us to the apartment. We decided to be really silly and put the puppy on the doormat, ring the bell, and then hide. Much to our surprise a little kid opened the door! Oops! I quickly apologized and scooped up the puppy. We decided to try the next door over. This time we surprised an elderly gentleman, who got quite a kick out of our cute friend. We decided to check with the Weavers to see if they knew which apartment was Lee's. They were fairly certain she lived on the 4th floor, so we set off again. As they always say, third time's the charm! Lee was completely shocked when she saw the puppy at the door and we got a great photo of her, wide-eyed, mouth gaping, eye-brows leaping off her face!
The ladies at the vet clinic fell in love with our puppy instantly, and whisked her off for a warm bath, dinner, and plenty of snuggling, I'm sure! We were so happy to know that she will be looked after by a loving foster family. What a blessing to know that we gave such a precious creature a chance at a better life.
Wishing you a long life filled with lots of love and snuggles, our sweet Antique Museum puppy!!!




Yay! We've got her!




Lacey and I with our "baby"




Isn't she PRECIOUS?!?!









Taking a little snooze




Saying farewell at the vet clinic

Gobble! Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
What a wonderful time to gather with loved ones to reflect upon our lives and give thanks for the many blessings we've received throughout the year! We have so much to be thankful for... our abiding faith, an incredible love and marriage, fantastic friends and family, good health, a comfortable home, exciting jobs, and a healthy sense of adventure paired with excellent opportunities for world travel! God is so good and we can hardly believe what an amazing life we have!
We love working and living overseas, but it is very tough being away from our closest friends and family, especially during special occasions and holidays. We love you all, are so very thankful for you, and miss you terribly!!! Lucky for us, we'll be on our way to seeing most of you in a week- hooray for month long winter holidays!
Despite residing in the middle of a desert, we enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings! Close to 30 of us gathered together at the Bernston's villa (same complex where I lived as a tot) to celebrate. Everyone contributed a dish or two. I made leek and potato gratin, pumpkin bars, and mashed potatoes with LOTS of butter- delicious, but disastrous for my clothing! Melted butter ran down the length of my shirt and skirt as I carried the bowl. Darn you, sneaky butter and ineffective recycled tin foil! I smelled like I was baking all night! Oh well... still thankful! We feasted and feasted and feasted some more... a bunch of little Thanksgiving piggies=). Oink, oink! (I abashedly admit I am still miserably full) Besides enjoying the food, we had a great time catching up with everyone and just lounging around with the post-turkey sleepies.

Wednesday was a whirl-wind day in my class. The kids finished their Thanksgiving projects, baked pumpkin bars, AND participated in the elementary holiday concert! Whew! I get tired just thinking about it. For their Thanksgiving project, the kiddos made their own garland of paper leaves. On each leaf, they wrote about something they were thankful for. When completed, each child had an adorable garland to keep, and use as decoration for some lucky wall or table in their home. Reading over the students' writing was such a treat- so many precious and entertaining statements! I just couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite leaves (a variety of heart-warming and hilarious) with you...




















Of course, any child who wrote about me got extra credit! ;)
























My favorite! The little girl who wrote this is such a sweet and gentle child. She clearly does not like bugs and truly appreciates her canine companion for his ability to rid her home of creepy crawlers.














In case you can't read the leaf, he is thankful for his birthday because it is in between the Ides of March and St. Patrick's Day. I didn't help him with that at all. Too funny!









Some finished products




Just a little taste! Making some cream cheese frosting for our pumpkin bars



That afternoon we went to the Ridley's for a wine and cheese gathering with the ASD art department. It was just a short stop off for us, as Isaac had 2 softball games that night. I wasn't sure if my senses were playing tricks on me, but I thought I kept hearing thunder in the distance, and maybe even spotted a flash of lightning. Just as the guys were getting ready to take the field for their second game, it started to sprinkle. Within minutes there was definite thunder and lightning, and the sky seemed to open up and pour on us! Gumball-sized raindrops plummeted down on us at rapid speed, so obviously the game was canceled. We all huddled underneath the cover of the bleachers, hoping to avoid the windy spray from the downpour, to no avail. The storm had moved directly over us, and the thunder exploded overhead, with flashes of lightning illuminating the sky. We decided to make a run for the car, as the storm didn't seem to be letting up, and the thought of our car getting stuck in a flooded sandlot was less than appealing. In our mad dash from the field to the car we got totally soaked! Even by Oregon standards, this was an impressive rainstorm! We drove home with wet hair plastered to our heads, and damp clothing clinging uncomfortably close. Given the way most people drive here, we opted to avoid the freeway, and took Al Wasl and Beach roads. Al Wasl had lanes completely underwater by the time we made it (amazing how fast water backs up when there is no drainage system!). By the time we reached the Burj al Arab, the rain had let up, and Barsha showed no signs of precipitation at all- bizarre! Despite half an hour of wet, sticky discomfort, I couldn't complain, because we got home much earlier than if we stayed for the second game, which meant more time snuggled up in cozy pj's=).













Hazard lights are extremely popular here! People turn them on for any traffic condition- quick stop, rain, fog, seemingly no reason... Too funny!




The right lane of this stretch of Al Wasl was flooded

World's BIGGEST fireworks display... only in Dubai

Last Thursday was the official opening for the Atlantis Hotel on the Palm. This gazillion dollar event attracted celebrities from all over the world, and boasted the biggest fireworks display in history. We spent the afternoon and evening recovering from the long week... glued to the couches, and stuffing our faces with cheese bread and chex mix with Dan, Lacy, and Ashley. Oh, Thursday afternoons, how I love you! Around 11:30, we piled into the car and drove down to our "dog beach" to catch the fireworks. After a few panic stricken moments of being stuck in loose sand, begrudgingly digging out the tires, and pushing on the vehicle with all our might, we found a suitable parking spot, and began weaving our way through the hundreds of other people and vehicles who were gathering for the show. We found a great spot right by the water with an unobstructed view of the Atlantis, laid out some blankets, and plopped ourselves down. We sat, chatted, and eventually dozed off for an hour or so, waiting for the show to begin. Atlantis started with a flashy laser light show before the deafening fireworks began thundering around us. Our chests rattled as they exploded in brilliant bursts of color and light. The long line of fireworks erupted simultaneously- the fireworks themselves were fairly standard, but the shear magnitude of the event was amazing! Miles of fireworks erupting at once, lighting up the sky and leaving thick gray clouds of smoke, hanging over the coastline. Again, Dubai proves to be an interesting and exciting place to live right now.









Not the clearest shot, but I like how everyone is holding up a camera or mobile phone to capture the sights





























My favorite=)












The fireworks display seemed a bit disorganized from the shoreline, but this video will prove otherwise. Amazing!!!
p.s. have your sound turned on for some dramatic accompanying music =)

International Day

Last week we celebrated International Day at school. Everyone came dressed in their national clothing, and we had a big outdoor assembly to kick off the event. Students created a parade of nations and pranced around the dewy field. We watched various cultural dances and performances (2 of my students were dancers!), and visited a plethora of booths that offered information, snacks, and goodies from the many nations represented in our school population. The kids had little "passports" they carried around with them to collect stamps at facts about the different country booths they visited. A fun, full day of things to see and do... I was exhausted by the time 3:00 rolled around!










Checking out each other's attire




Beginning of the Parade of Nations









High-fives with Mr. Marshall are so much fun!
*Mr. Marshall is not from Oman. He just felt like rockin' the dish dash =).




Beautiful details









Passports




Mr. Mechanical Bull even made an appearance!

Sailing Through a Storm

You might think the title of this post is just an artsy metaphor for some challenge we are working through, but in fact, we just sailed through a real storm! Not exactly how we envisioned our first sailing experience...

Jeff D., a coworker and friend, invited us to go sailing on his boat. We were so excited to try sailing and eagerly accepted. We met up with Jeff D., Jeff B. (another coworker) and Alf (a sailing friend of Jeff D's) at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. Oh, Lordy, I can tell this is going to be confusing already with all of these Jeff's! Please bear with me...
So, it was a lovely Saturday afternoon when we all met at the DOSC clubhouse. We enjoyed a fish and chips lunch (a meal that would soon come back to haunt poor Isaac) and some drinks out on the patio before setting sail. The cornflower sky was a bit hazy, but dotted with fluffy clouds, and there was a light breeze. Perfect sailing weather... or so we thought!
Jeff D's 28-foot sailboat, Insatiable, was lacking a motor, so he prefaced that he would have to do some tricky sailing to get out of the marina. The shear physics involved in the movement of that boat were amazing! It tilted from side to side so sharply we were certain it would tip right over, but as Jeff D. insisted, it didn't. Our hearts were pumping wildly during our departure from the narrow marina, as we slid from side to side, and water sloshed overboard. Little did we know what a mild experience all of this "scary tilting" would be!
Once out in the open water, Insatiable leveled out, and our nerves settled, so we kicked back and watched the world float by. Boats were bobbing about in the gulf and parasailors rocked back and forth in the breeze, suspended above the surf. We passed the Burj al Arab hotel and observed how the add-on sky bar bisected the building's main beam and unintentionally created the world's largest cross. It was quite a sight!
Not long after we passed the Burj we began to notice a line of gray clouds in the distance. The sailing experts (and I call them this with total respect, and not a hint of sarcasm!) had checked the weather, and nothing suggested a problem, so we dismissed the clouds as some problem neighboring Abu Dhabi would experience. Within minutes the sky had darkened, and it became apparent that the clouds were in fact headed for Dubai. Before we knew it, the wind had whipped up and huge clouds of sand were blanketing the Palm Jumeirah. Moments later, massive gusts of sand were sweeping along the mainland, completely concealing the high-rise speckled skyline in a grayish haze. It was evident the shamal (wind storm) was heading straight for us at rapid speed. Jeff D. quickly informed us that we would have to ride the storm out on the boat. He sailed us farther out into the sea to avoid being thrust into the breakers, and within moments we were met by a splattering of rain and cold bursts of wind. The front sail, already showing signs of damage, tore almost instantly. The guys worked quickly to lower the sails and drop the anchor, in hopes we would stay far enough from the shore to remain safe. The gray swells grew larger and larger, rocking the boat violently. Jeff B. dove into the cabin and uncovered neon life jackets. Still snapping away with my camera, not quite realizing the severity of this storm, I donned the life jacket and Isaac and I posed for silly pictures. It wasn't long after that when the boat tipped so far, one side of it was submerged, that I knew then it was time to put the camera away and hold on for dear life! The storm continued to grow in intensity, and we were all soaked from the waves and the rain. We rocked around miserably for some time, and poor Isaac couldn't take it. My sweet hubby was hanging over the side of the boat, feeding the fishes. Vomiting is a terrible enough experience, but what Isaac endured was miserable- the boat thrashing violently, waves sloshing him in the face, wind and half-digested fish and chips blowing everywhere... ugh! Not fun! When Isaac finally emptied his stomach, his face had turned a shade of yellowish-green I've never seen on a person before.
After countless stomach-lurching tilts we realized the anchor was not holding the boat and we were drifting towards shore. Our greatest danger was beaching the boat, so Jeff D. decided we should raise the anchor and attempt to sail off. The incredibly agile Alf, dug through the cabin and uncovered a storm sail. Next thing we knew, he was clambering up to the front of the boat and single-handedly replacing the torn sail. We raised the sails, and they whipped around violently, slapping loudly in the wind. Alf made several attempts to haul the anchor aboard, but the turbulent seas made the task impossible. We inched closer to shore, and Jeff D. made the decision to cut the anchor- the only anchor we had- and try to sail off. We held our breathes and prayed more fervently than ever, as they released the anchor to the murky depths. With some tricky maneuvering and some gut-leaping tilts and dips, Jeff D. was able to coax the boat back out to sea. "We're sailing!" he exclaimed. It was a relief to all of us, but we still had the better part of an hour to rock our way through the seemingly endless gray-green swells back to the marina. We were cold, wet, sore, and queasy, but we were alive! Passing back by the massive cross at the Burj I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and thankfulness... a few more "thank you!" prayers were said then! As we neared the sailing club I asked Jeff D., a lifetime sailor, how this storm compared to others he has experienced. He couldn't think of one that was worse!
The immense relief I felt the minute I set one shaky foot on the dock was incredible! Oh, land, how I love you!




Alf (and the misleading beautiful blue sky)




"Scary tilt" leaving the marina. Notice the angle of the dials and the horizon.














Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the Burj al Arab (with the world's largest cross)




Enjoying the day!




Sandstorm starting on the palm... within minutes you couldn't see any of those buildings




Sandstorm moving to the mainland




It's a bit tricky to see , but our boat is tilted nearly on its side... not underwater yet at this point though!









Aaaahhhh! Little did we know how scary it was about to get!




Alf replacing the sail














Color beginning to return to Ike's face...




At least we had a beautiful sunset (Palm Jumeirah with the Atlantis Hotel in the background)




Back in the marina




Heroes of the day! Alf and Jeff D.