What Do I See ? Frolicking Camels in an Oasis !

We didn't know the road very well and ended up taking a wrong turn. The wrong turn lead us off the paved road on to a hard sandy road. Oh no...Where were we going ? Then the next question always is, "will we get stuck in the sand" ? Sometimes it is so easy to get lost in Dubai!

Only sand, more sand and shrubs in sight - nothing else, until we rounded a corner and saw a cluster of palm trees, a small oasis of water and plants, but more important lots of camels. The camels surrounded the small watering hole like they had never seen water before, frolicking, splashing, running back and forth across the water. It was a real live camel water party.

When we stopped our car and rolled down the windows to take pictures of the camels, they all stopped their frolicking, dead in their tracks. All of the camels turned to look at us, as if they were annoyed, upset, that we would stop and disturb their tranquil place, their camel oasis.

Okay, we got the message, only camels are invited. We will leave you to your fun.

As we drove away, the frolicking, splashing, running back and forth in the water started up again. The camels were just like little kids running through sprinklers and playing in the water. It was so fun to witness!

What a great picture and pleasure to witness - camels, by a small watering hole and palms. It was not a mirage but clearly a oasis, a camel water park.

We each decided it was a lucky wrong turn on to the sandy road and we got a  chance to witness a real live camel water party. Lucky us !!

Three Months in Dubai ! This is My New Home for Now

Three months today I arrived in Dubai. My life turned upside down, I had left my family, grand children, friends back in the states - 9000 miles away. I left behind everything familiar to me to move with my husband to Dubai, UAE, for three years or more. I was nervous about the unknown, the big change, starting over in a country that I did not know and where no one knew me.
What if I could not adjust, make friends, etc. So many things were all up in the air and it really was up to me on whether or not I liked living in Dubai.
In the three short months I have adjusted and it is really true, give it some time and effort, things will work out.
I like living in Dubai - confidently and enthusiastically I can say that now. This quirky, intriguing and mystical country, United Arab Emirates is a great place to live. You may never figure it out, but that is part of the mystic. So many things do not and will never make sense, but I have decided that is what makes Dubai, Dubai.
Being a social person, I knew that for me to thrive here I needed to make friends, learn about the city and become a part of it. After one week of feeling sorry for myself, adjusting to the jet lag and time change - it was time to get busy.
The people in Dubai are amazing and embracing - I cannot say it any better than that. Warm, friendly and so international. Americans are the minority here and that is okay. I have never in my life met so many people from so many different cultures and countries. The diversity of the people is one of the specific things that makes me love this country so much. It was hard at first, but I can even understand most anyone now, even when their English is really bad. Hopefully, no more laundry incidents like I had before. Surprisingly, I have picked up a few Arabic words. The Arabs are so great to teach you a few words, the basics I need to survive here. A couple of the Pakistan security guards at our hotel apartment, have taken on the role of teaching Jeff and I short Arabic greetings and phrases. They delight in us being interested. Amjad, in the picture below, was delighted to have Taeler speak to him in Arabic. He calls her the "Arab American".

Amjad with Taeler

 I have learned in a very short time, no matter where we are from, in the end, we all really want the same things from life, especially women. Start talking about love, hair, kids or shoes and you have an instant conversation with anyone, from anywhere in the world. My life has been enriched in a very short time from meeting and getting to know so many new people from all walks of life. They introduce us to their food, favorite restaurants, talk about their customs, countries and families.

Taeler, Debbie, Jeff, Fatima and Ayesha

I have gathered a circle of friends and love them all dearly. Everyone in Dubai has been in the same situation ( being new) at one point and everyone seems to have a united feeling of being in it all together. New people are embraced, loved and welcomed. The only downside is no one is permanent in Dubai, people come and go all the time. 
When I first arrived I was worried  about where I would shop for groceries, get my hair done, pedicures, etc. Those types of things are important. How do you find good establishments and services? Just like home...ask for recommendations and it is also a great way to meet people. Via word of mouth and recommendations, I found a tailor in the old part of the city, Satwa. The Tailor shop is called "Dream Girls" and the men that work in the shop are astonishing. These men can fix, whip up a new outfit, or tailor anything in an instant. Very impressive, inexpensive and they guarantee their work. If you do not like it,they will start all over until you are 100% happy with their work and product.

Most importantly, I have found myself a ladies salon - no men allowed -I am so happy! They do it all... pedicures, manicures, threading, cut, color, etc, and pamper like not other.The salon is called "Pastels", the staff are friendly and the prices unbelievably cheaper than the US.

The first couple weeks I was missing foods from the US. On the recommendation of other expat you soon know exactly were you can find your favorite US items. They are so happy to show you the stores and share their secrets. A few of the stores cater to the expat populationsand ship in products that make the Americans and British so happy. You feel like you have won the lottery when you find a specific and familiar food item in stock at the store and sitting on the grocery shelf. But if you find something you love on the shelf at the store, you better buy it, you never know when you will see it again, maybe never.
The exported food items cost a little more, but sometimes that is all you want, something familiar from home.
In a short time, I have learned to love new food items, like fresh yogurt, Arabian bread, Indian food ( never thought I would hear myself say that)... yummy.
My new favorite grocery store is called "Spinneys", but there are also others, Safest Way, Waitross, Choitrams. I am convinced that the US ships it best fruit outside the States. Of course the the meat is pure, but very little or no preservatives are used, breads are baked fresh daily and the fruit - well - you will have to come to Dubai and try it for yourself.

We go home to Utah, next week  and I am looking forward to the visit, but will miss Dubai. It sounds so strange to say that, but in three short months this has become my new home and I realize I can live here for a while, make it work, and love it.

O Man, The Country of Oman is Awesome !

Welcome to Oman!

We took a quick trip for Taeler's birthday to the neighboring country, Oman. We visited the Capitol, Muscat, one of the oldest cities in the world, that dates back thousands of years. It is a beautiful city that is nestled on the Sea of Oman, which is part of the Indian ocean. 

I love Dubai UAE and all it has to offer, but Muscat,Oman specifically looked and felt like a true Arab city, almost mystical. Unlike Dubai, the country of Oman and city of Muscat has very few skyscrapers, instead the streets are lined with sun bleached white low or two level dwellings with large ornate gates that welcome you. Of course each of the white one and two story dwellings has the attached satellite dish. They rise or hang from the  buildings like ornaments. No matter where you are from, no matter your nationality, we humans are all the same - we love our TV shows!

Omanie home

As we ran around the city like tourists, never mind that the temperature was 112 degrees - yes, really 112 degrees, we were in awe of all the history that we were seeing all around us. The nice Omani man at the Gate Museum was so helpful and took the time to explain some interesting history facts and information about Oman, specifically Muscat. He was even nice enough to pose for a picture.

The mosques in Oman are many in number and all differently unique and beautiful, one from the other. Most most of them have gold or brightly color tiles domes, including the grand mosque situated in the middle of the city of Muscat.

The drive to Muscat alone made Oman feel more traditional,  a sight to be witnessed first hand. Goats and donkeys were everywhere with a spattering of a few camels, hanging out in the front of the white one story dwellings.The landscape of the country was beautiful, but it was hard to relax and enjoy the ride because people were running or meandering across the highway the entire drive - five hours worth. We also saw consistently, two and three men to one bicycle -that's right, one bicycle - peddling down the middle of the highway as cars sped by them. Besides watching constantly for people crossing the the road and bicycles being were they should not be, cars were entering and exiting the highway at any whim or want - no ramp or official entrance or exit to and from the highway needed. If it was their to time to get off the highway, they exited across the sand, into the desert. Camels, goats and and donkeys were hanging out along side the highway, with no fences to keep them from running on to it. It seemed to be one possible hazard after another or all at the same time, but the camel crossing sign at least gave us warning that camels could be on the highway. I am already a nervous passenger in a car, the craziness going on around us made me a nervous wreck.

The ride was both scary but funny at the same time, we felt like we were participating in a real life video game, the game being played out before us and we were the ones playing the game. Luckily we made it to Muscat and back and did not hit one person, car, bike or animal! So thankful. Does that mean we won the game ?

One thing that stood out to me in Muscat was the amazing old beautiful doors and structures. To stand out and be different, the home's front door  or a main business door is their icon, identifier. The doors were tiled, wooden, carved, rounded, gold, bold bright colors, split heavy doors....not one being the same, all different.

We only spent two days in Muscat, and we definitely will have to go back to explore the city more in depth when the weather is cooler. 112 degrees is just to hot! At the beach front, the sand was so hot we had to run across it as fast as we could and it still felt like we were walking across hot, shearing coals. Once you made it to the ocean the scenery around you made you totally forget the pain of the hot sand.

There was so much to see - the old structures, the doors, the fortresses built on hill tops around the city as look outs for days gone by, the old souk, the Heritage Center and all the museums, the Sultan's Palace, old cemeteries ( yes, we love old cemeteries), the sea port and all the amazing old mosques make this city quite extraordinary.

The coolest thing is that the city possibly dates back a mere 5000 years. Quite remarkable to say the least. 

We will be back !

On the Top of the World

Outstanding ! The view from the 124st floor observation deck of  the tallest building in the world, the Burk Khalifa, is breath taking to say the least.

Heights make me a little squeamish and to walk out on the glass paneled observation deck, it made my hands and feet sweat...just a little..but oh, so worth it. I can do this ...

You pay 100 dirhams per adult ( @ $26 US dollars) to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa. Tickets are sometimes hard to get, especially the week before or day of. It was recommended that you pick a date and time atleast 30 days in advance and buy your tickets on line. We took everyone's recommendation and did just that.

Golden ticket to the top

The ride to the top - 124th floor observation deck - is on a super speed elevator. And super speed it was. Our ears were popping as we sped to the 124th floor lickity split. I dont ever recall being in an elevator that moved that fast, and climbed so many floors.
Once to the top - glorious ! You can see Dubai from all angles  - the desert, the sea, the layout of the city, the extraordinary skyscrapers and so much more. Even though it made me nervous, it was so worth it and I would do it again.

Jeff , Taeler and I had a fabulous time on the top of world and then entered the elevator for our lightning speed descent back to earth, ground level and everyday life.

Great experience and I would recommend it to everyone, even those people like me, that are afraid of heights.

Seeing and Eating Gold in Abu Dhabi

Sometimes I don't believe it either, but I have seen so many gold plated things and gold used in so many unique and creative ways, I would believe just about anything now. When I see something new, I just think to myself, "Of course it is - I would not expect anything less". Nothing  surprises me anymore.
The surprises are not only limited to Dubai - they are all over the United Arab Emirates.

We ventured to another Emirate on Saturday - Abu Dhabi, which is @ 1 hour drive from Dubai.

Abu Dhabi is the Capitol of the United Arab Emirates. It does not have as many skyscrapers as Dubai but they certainly have their fair share of gold, gold plated items and glitz.

The Grand Mosque located in Abu Dhabi, dedicated to their previous and beloved ruler Sheikh Zayed.  It is the largest, most opulent mosque you would ever see anywhere in the world and everywhere you see the color gold, it really is 24 K gold. All gold! An absolutely beautiful site to behold and one I will not forget.

To go inside the mosque, all women need to be covered head to toe and it was a very hot day. Several Emirate women told Taeler and I that it was like wearing sunglasses all over you when you wear an abaya to cover your body and a shayla to over your head. They said it shields and reflects the sun off . That was not the case for the two of us - we were sweating like we have never sweat before under the black covers. What do they know that we don't?  What is the secret? Do you just get used to it ? I was so grateful when I could take it off and get some relief from the heat, but it really made me respect even more  the women that wear the abaya and shayla in this heat.

Lunch after the visiting the Grand Mosque was at the five star hotel, Emirates Palace. When I say palace it was exactly what you think of in your mind - a grand palace. No spare for detail and it had gold plated paint on the walls and gold flecks in the flower vase on the tables. Gold, gold and more gold all over. The ultimate in gold though was when the the waitress brought us chocolate truffles and guess what ....one of them had gold flecks on top as a garnish. You heard that right - gold was on the candy.

Delicious! We ate a 24 K gold flecked truffle.

Before I came to Dubai, several people said they had heard that you could by gold in vending machines in the UAE. It is true  - you can buy gold bars in vending machines in select places around the country.  As we were leaving the Emirates Palace we came upon one of the gold vending machines. Wow - that is something I thought I would never see but below is the picture. Anyone want a gold bar ? All you do is make a selection, give the machine cash or a credit card and instantly you have gold. As easy at that.

Overall, what we saw of Abu Dhabi was beautiful, gold and shimmery. The day in Abu Dhabi reminded me of the song, "Silver and Gold". I hummed it all the way home to Dubai.

There is still so much to see, that we will need to go back for second day and explore the golden city of Abu Dhabi.

70 Days in Dubai ....I Keep Learning More Every Day

70 days in Dubai !
 The time has flown and guess what, I am starting to feel at home in this city of fun, glass and glitz. I can make my way around the city (most the time now without the GPS), have made some great friends, attend Arabic classes and I am getting into a routine again, keeping myself busy and out of trouble, for now. Most important, I have found myself a women's salon.
I am getting used to a lot of the things that first caught my attention when I arrived, but everyday I discover something new that totally intrigues me all over again.
Getting to know the city and culture has been fun and I feel like my eyes have been opened to the world around me. I love the people I have been able to meet and associate with. They are from all over the world. It certainly puts your life and how the world views Americans into perspective.
There are a few things I could write about, but unless you see or experience it for yourself you would never believe it. When I ask, "why is it that way?",  I always get the same answer, " because they can". There is no truer statement for Dubai - because they can.

Below are a few more fun and interesting facts I would like to pass along....
1. Status is everything in Dubai. It is easy to identify the important people of the city on the road. Their cars and license plates tell you all you need to know.
Cars are driven around proudly, showing off their social status or place in Dubai's society via their license plate. A one digit number license plate is the Shaikh, the ruler of Dubai, himself. A two digit number is the royal family. A three or four digit number license plate signifies that you are friend or close relation to the Shaikh.  A five digit license plate is what all the other people of the city or expatriates have on their cars, including yours truly. I proudly drive around my five digit license plated SUV.
If you really have the need to have a lower digit license plate, an auction is held yearly and plates with lower numbers are put up for bid. At last years auction, over a million dollars was spent on one of the low digit license plates. All in the name of status. Who would have ever thought.

2. Dubai is the luxury car Capitol of the world. Mercedes and Porsche's are mundane here, common place. Everyone has one and they are not that unique or special in Dubai. You see Ferrari's, Jaguar's,Maserati's, Roll Royce's, Bentley's, Mercedes G class with V 12 engines and even Maybachs all the time. 

Luxury cars are everywhere you look. People that could not ever afford to buy a luxury car in their home country can now afford to buy one in the UAE. Chevrolet Tahoe's and trucks are also held with high regard and the Emirate Nationals love them.  When I first arrived in Dubai, I was in awe and  it was fun to see all the luxury, high end cars that I would rarely see in Utah, just being driven around the city, but now I barely notice them. Many of the car companies build spec's sepcific for cars driven in the  UAE only. Who really needs a V12 engine for driving around the city? The V12 engines are so powerful you can hear them coming up behind you blocks away.
The cars that still astound me the most are the 24 K gold plated vehicles and SUV's. You can see them parked or being driven around the city. Even more surprising, no one would even think of stealing them - it is unheard of in Dubai.

3. There are non Muslim Pork rooms in some of the grocery stores. We cannot live without our bacon, pork chops, pork and beans, ham, and other pork related items. The Shaikh has allowed non Muslim pork rooms to be placed in the back of some grocery stores in Dubai. Some of the other Emirates do not allow pork to be sold in their city, but Dubai does allow it. Only non Muslims are allowed to enter the pork room and purchase pork items. The rooms remind me of the old porn video rooms that used to be in video stores years ago. The room you only looked into but never walked in. I proudly walk in the pork room weekly, picking up ham and other items we would like to purchase. Guess what else you can find in the pork rooms occasionally ?  Oreo's, cinnamon bears, Pop Tarts, Marshmallows, etc. Yes, all those items are made with some sort of pork by product.

4. The Call to Prayer five times a day. The call to prayer is broadcast throughout the city five times a day. Besides the call to prayer, sometimes, 25 minutes later, the actual prayer is also broadcast. On Fridays, prayer day, the sermons are broadcast for all to hear. I don't know Arabic yet, but can get the jest of what is being said based on the emotion behind the broadcast.
Mosque's seem to be within a mile of each other and sometimes even closer. The call to prayer are not perfectly timed so you can have three or four being broadcast at the same time all around you - it is like call to prayer in stereo. Where I currently live, the Mosque is only a few blocks away and the first call to prayer broadcast before dawn still wakes me every morning, but I am okay with that and have grown to really like the call to prayer. If I am in my car when the call to prayer is broadcast, I will turn off my radio, roll down the window and listen.

At the Jumeirah Mosque, non Muslims are allowed to enter a few days a week for one hour to learn about the Muslim faith. It was fascinating to observe the prayer offered. It certainly helped us understand it so much better.

5. Arabian bread - we have given up sliced bread for flat, delicious Arabian bread. I love it , especially with butter and honey. Arabian bread is a staple in this areas of the world and it is enjoyed in so many ways.

We came across a very old bread bakery in an alley off a main road this week. The shop was very small, with a wide open window. Two men were siting on the counter, yep, sitting on the counter, cross legged and barefoot. One man was rolling the dough flat, then he would throw the saucer shaped dough into a glowing hole in the floor of the bakery. The second man, was holding a forked stick and would fish out the baked bread, throwing it up on the counter for purchase. As quickly as the bread came out of the hole, people were grabbing them to buy. We were lucky to grab four flat breads,which cost a total of 1 dirham ( @ 25 cents US). The bakery was extremely dirty and unsanitary but the bread was the best bread I have ever eaten. Out of the this world good.

I have grown to love this city in a very short time - 70 short days - but still have so much to learn and explore. It has been great having my youngest daughter Taeler here in Dubai for the month of May. While Jeff is at work we are out exploring, finding new things that totally amaze, scare or enchant us.

How grateful I am for this experience ! More to come in the future.

The Heat is on - Let's Fry an Egg !

When people say it gets hot in Dubai, the middle east, they mean it. The weather has been extremely pleasant since I arrived on March 1. Most days, I have needed to wear a sweater or layer my outfit most days because I get chilled or cold. How bad can this be ? Infact, a few days last week it was warmer in Salt Lake City than it was in Dubai.
The talk among the locals say the weather has been  unseasonably cool and nice .....until this past week. Everyone kept saying, "it will change over night" and it has.
Today it was only 110 degrees, a couple days ago 114 degrees and if you look at the extended forecast it will be in the 100's 's from now until September or October. To keep running outside we need to be up before 5:00 A.M. or run after 10:00 P.M. because the heat and sun are so intense. I have been told it can top out at @ 120 -130 degrees during the months of July and August and that would be a good temperature day.
Okay - that is hot !
You really could fry an egg on side walk with heat like that. Have you heard that before and always wanted to try it ? My grandfather used to always say, "it is so hot you could fry an egg outside today". Maybe I see if  it is true and and let you know how it works out.
In Utah, during the summer, the days may be hot but when the sun goes down it gets cooler, a lot more comfortable. In Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, nights do not cool off that much and the humidity seems to rise and get worse. Pony tails it is ....frizzy, curly hair, so be it ....I have to keep telling myself to just let the idea of my hair being straight go and not worry about it.
Dubai becomes a ghost town during the months of June, July and August. A big majority of the expatriates from all over the world leave the United Arab Emirates and go home for the summer. With 80 percent of the United Arab Emirate's population being expats that can be significant. Many of the friends I have made here in Dubai, all have plans to leave and be in their home country for extended stays. Farewell and going away parties are planned or being planned in the future. It is strange how everyone leaves at the same time and their lives here in Dubai are put on hold for three months until they come back. I as well am going home for the entire month of June, but will be back in July just in time for the most intense heat of the summer.
I can hardly wait !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below is the five day forecast from the weather ticker on my laptop. It will be cooler on Friday at only 105 degrees.  Yippee !

5-day forecast

Tomorrow May 11	Saturday May 12	Sunday May 13	Monday May 14	Tuesday May 15
Clear	Clear	Clear	Clear	Fair
Hi: 107° Lo: 81°	Hi: 105° Lo: 82°	Hi: 108° Lo: 86°	Hi: 109° Lo: 85°	Hi: 112° Lo: 87°

Dubai Loves Candy and Sweets

You cannot avoid it... it is everywhere ....Candy and sweets.
Dubai loves candy, pastries, and especially chocolate. There is store after store that offer some sort of pastry, candy, cookies (my favorite) or chocolate. I love chocolate, you can never have enough of it and it certainly makes anything taste better, but I think I have met my quota here.

How could anyone resist the chocolate cake in the picture below from Circle Cafe. The waiter asked, " would you like a piece of the four layer chocolate cake, the whipped cream frosting is low fat ?" Well then, Taeler and I better have a piece. Then he asked, "should I bring it out after you eat your meal ?" Heck no, please bring it as fast as you can slice off a piece - two forks please.
Dining out in Dubai, dessert first then your meal. Scrumptious.

We recently visited the downtown area of the city called Bur Dubai and were so surprised to see that every other store on this specific street offered bins of candy like the ones shown in the picture below ( the picture only shows one small section of candy - there was more, believe it or not ).

What are they going to do with all that candy? It makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it.

Dubai could be a dental paradise !

We asked one of the the Indian stores owners if there was some significance for all the bins of candy but neither one of them could speak good enough English for us to successfully communicate.

We are going to have to dig deeper and find out what is behind the infatuation with candy and sweets. One of them just kept pointing at the candy and saying, " buy more - 20 dirhams". ( @ 5.00 US dollars)

The largest candy store in the world is located at the Dubai Mall, called... here it comes ...."Candylicious" ! It is true - that is really the stores name. There is so much candy and different varieties of sweets in the store, you walk away feeling overwhelmed or extremely sad that you could not sample everything or make a decision on what you wanted to buy.

Candylicious provides a very large disclaimer in the front of their store for everyone to make note as they enter - "If you break, tear, open or if your child eats or licks it...consider the item purchased". What if an adult eats or licks the item, are we exempt from the store rules ?

I can only imagine the problems they have had with sampling in this ridiculously large candy store. I certainly felt like licking and eating a few things myself, but did all I could to practice self control.

Advertisements, ads and displays for candy, sweets, pastries and chocolate are abundant. The advertisers certainly know how to reel you in, influencing you to buy these stores scrumptious goods.

When I first arrived in Dubai, I saw so many ads for the chocolate company "Galaxy" I could not wait until I tried it out for myself.  Good job advertisers, it worked !

The mannequin below was in the display window of a different candy store in the Emirates Mall, called "Candelite".  Don't you love the names of these stores? So creative...the mannequin was dressed head to toe with candy and we could not resist taking a picture. So sweet!

If you have not had your fill of candy or sweets from the all the stores, every so many feet in all the malls and outlets there are candy kiosks - just in case you missed your favorite and need a little something for the walk to your car. See below.

Dubai is serious about their sweets. They mean business and there is no loss for want. The Sheik is concerned for the overall health of his people, especially the children getting heavy, gaining weight and a few health initiative have been established but that has not stopped new stores from opening and more candy kiosks from popping up all over. While Taeler has been in Dubai, she as been astonished at the number of chocolate shops, pastry stores and the overall variety of sweets. It is both amazing and glutenous at the same time, but oh, so yummy. Some of the best sweets and pastries I have eaten in my life, have been in Dubai. One thing is certain, they do it right.

I guess that all we need to know was summed up by the Indian store owner in Bur Dubai...buy more !

Drumming, Dancing and Riding Camels Under the Full Moon in Dubai

Drumming, dining on Arabian food, riding camels, dancing and belly dancers....all in one evening under a beautiful full moon. Fun, fun, fun in the Al Awir desert outside the city limits of Dubai. Who ever knew that anyone could have this much fun in the sand!

Hundreds of people from all over the world gathered on Friday night for a monthly full moon event in Dubai. The desert was throwing a party and we went. We had to drive outside the city to an unknown location in the desert, (yes, we had to use our GPS or  would have never found it), got picked up at the central meeting location by an awaiting SUV, equipped with roll bars and headed off into the desert. The SUV went screaming off at a high rate of speed across the sand, making twists and turns, up and down sandy hills. Wow - almost like a roller coaster but in sand! Hold on everyone...what a wild ride.
Once at the main location, we climbed down into a sandy shaped bowl equipped with more fun than even imaginable.

Drums, drums and more drums - Africans taught us to drum and let loose. We made music into the evening, laughed, danced and forgot the world outside. We drummed until we could not drum anymore, our hands, arms and shoulders were hurting. What a blast ! Jeff and I will certainly pay for this in the morning.
When you needed a break from drumming, you could eat Arabian food, ride a camel, climb the sandy hills and look up at the stairs or just soak it all in, sitting back and relaxing on the majlis.

A couple times during the night, a DJ on site played American dance music and the crowd went crazy. Before we knew it, a wild, crazy desert dance party commenced in Dubai ! No one cared, inhibitions were down, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, young and old.  I saw dance moves like I have never seen before and I am certain that a few of Jeff's will show up on You Tube in the future.
Was it the full moon that was making us all so carefree and crazy ?The Africans claimed that pounding drums cast a magical spell over you, helping you forget your worries and have fun. Nothing else matters. They were right, atleast for five hours that was the case.
I cannot recall a time I have ever had that much fun, especially in a desert, but wait, I have never done anything like this before in a desert. It was first for me, for all of us ....only in Dubai.