Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be moving to a foreign country to live, let alone a country in the Middle East. Over the 2009 Christmas and New Year’s holidays, my husband Roger and I discussed what we wanted the next part of our life to be like. He thought that before retiring, he would like to do one more airport project but only if he could find something very interesting. I half-jokingly agreed that would be fine but could he try for an exotic location? As usual, Roger came through and soon we were headed to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. This blog is a recap of our "leap-of- faith" wanderings around the Middle East and beyond. We joyfully share these expat experiences.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL 2012


The music is “Tomorrow-Bokra,” an Arabic re-adaptation of Quincy Jones’ Grammy-award winning song entitled ‘Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me). Collaborating with Emirati social entrepreneur Badr Jafar,  Quincy produced this Arabic charity single involving 24 leading Arab Artists from 16 nations across the Middle East and North Africa singing with one voice for a better tomorrow.

Funds raised from the sale of “Tomorrow/Bokra" finance educational arts and culture scholarships and projects for children throughout the Middle East and North Africa. All proceeds generated will be placed in a dedicated Tomorrow/Bokra account under the Quincy Jones Foundation (http://qjfoundation.org)

“Tomorrow/Bokra” can be downloaded from ITunes.

Click to play this Smilebox greeting
Create your own greeting - Powered by Smilebox
Personalize a free digital greeting

Saturday, December 17, 2011

NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN DUBAI . . . An Amazing Race at the Meydan Race Track

Dubai is one amazing place.

There is so much happening here and so many celebrities visiting that it is hard to keep up.


Tom Cruise is filmed climbing the Burj Khalifa for his new film Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Kim Karadashian opens a milkshake store in Dubai  and garners one full week of nauseating never ending media coverage - go figure - Sex in the City takes place in Dubai - ooops - no it was really filmed in Morocco. Oh well, a pleasant afternoon at the races yields an unexpected surprise.

The day was to be a pleasant Friday-after-Thanksgiving afternoon at the races with our friends Perry and Angela Martin. But thanks to “eagle eye” Angela it turns into an exciting introduction to one of my favorite shows – The Amazing Race.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Blogging Boomer Carnival #238

One week before Christmas and all through the house . . . . boomers are musing on the ultimate gift for their favorite foodie . . . what makes a good retirement community for your parents . . . kids and Christmases past . . . can there truly be a random act of kindness in Kmart . . . frustrating secret surcharges . . . can raising federal taxes help our economy?  . . was Santa a Shaman? . .  Oh my, adults indulging in kids’ foods . . . and one Amazing Race in Dubai.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Blogging Boomer Christmas Carnival #239


Christmas Tree

Baby Boomers continue to personally evolve; setting new trends along their wake.  This Holiday Season carnival, the 239th of the BBC series, is just a small piece of the microcosm series that was developed to record the boomer generation's evolution.  Come to the fair,pick up your free ebook holiday gift for career women and observe interesting segments of trend-setting happenings that seek life's meaning through passionate living.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

@home in Dubai . . .Don’t leave home without it.


If you have been reading my blog you know of the trials and tribulations (anyone remember the film The Perils of Pauline) I faced settling into Dubai.  Couldn't have done it without my friend, Anne O'Connell's advice. She is so smart she has written a book @home in Dubai . . .Getting Connected Online and on the Ground. It is must read for anyone actually moving or contemplating moving to this wonderful city. I promise it will make your settling in a whole lot easier.

@home in Dubai is a powerful tool for anyone re-locating to Dubai, UAE. Packed full of reliable and useful information, the author’s lighthearted approach to relocating to this uniquely vibrant city helps relieve some of the angst of a daunting task. 

Anne’s experience of living and working in Dubai and her wealth of contacts in the expat community give the book its heart and soul. It is rather like having conversation with your best friend.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

BLOGGING BOOMERS CARNIVAL # 237

Boomer Chronicles is hosting the carnival this week. Here is the cornucopia of offerings:


From Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, surviving the seemingly endless tasks of setting up a new home in a foreign country can be enough to send some people back home on the next plane. No need for that if you check out a new series @home . . . Getting Connected Online and On the Ground. The first of the series, @home in Dubai written by Anne O’Connell, offers practical tips, checklists and quality resources for getting settled in the unique city of Dubai.

SoBabyBoomer asks, “Is the bank really the safest place to keep your money?

Though the holiday time is a great time to connect with friends and family, it can be a challenge for some. Lucie from Midlife Musingsexplains her thoughts on the subject.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UAE . . . A Proud Nation on the Move

Forty years ago, on December 2, 1971, six tribal leaders gathered in Dubai. Surrounded by throngs of their people they pledged their allegiance to a new country. A seventh leader would join the allegiance a short time later.

Faced with the prospect of the loss of British protection, these brave men banded together and set a new course for their small bit of ancestral land on the southeaster side of the Arabian peninsula. Reaching from the Arabian Gulf coast encompassing parts of the vast Empty Quarter desert, over the rugged Hajar Mountains and ending on the Oman Gulf coast, this small seemingly insignificant piece of land became the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  At that time, their only resources were sand, dates, camels and a proud heritage.

I wonder if they guessed what an amazing future they were going to have.

Thursday, December 1, 2011


Boomer Blogger Carnival -- BBC # 236

Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com

Who are the most interesting bloggers on the Web? THE BABY BOOMER BLOGGERS of course. Join this week's Carnival Celebraton & visit their sites:
 
 Do you think hanging chorizo in the wine cave to dry is grounds for divorce or eternal love? The Accidental Locavorewasn’t sure what her husband would think. See if they all lived happily ever after.