2012 Best Restaurant Experiences In and Around Dubai

One of life's great pleasures is a perfectly prepared meal enjoyed at a nice restaurant. It doesn't matter how fancy or how expensive the restaurant is but it is the ambiance of the setting, the care taken with the foods and flavors plus the graciousness of the staff that makes it memorable.

As we approach the new year, Roger and I reflected on the past year’s dining adventures. For those of you who live in Dubai, or will be visiting, we hope that our list helps you to pare down the overwhelming dining choices in Dubai. It is not an all inclusive list for we know there are many more excellent restaurants in Dubai that we haven’t yet discovered, but here are our favorite dinners from 2012. You may want to try them in 2013.

Making Memories - A Grandmother’s Gift . . . Nanny’s New York City Broadway Adventure

Note: This week I am taking a personal privilege of departing from our Arab adventures to bring you an American adventure with a very special granddaughter. I hope this warms your heart as it has mine. May this holiday season bring you peace and joy.   

L. to r.: Grandchildren Morgan, Maxx, Riley, Brooke,
Kiara, Lindsey and Gerry 

My beautiful sister Paty Barr has a favorite bed pillow I love that says “Mothers Make Memories.”

But I have found something that takes this to a whole new level - being a Grandmother.

Who knows why such a special relationship blossoms between grandmothers and grandchildren. Some say it is a gift from God, other say that grandparents can uniquely influence their grandchildren because they are a generation away.

One of my favorite thoughts is, “Grandmothers are moms with lots of icing.” It is the “icing” that I enjoy sharing with my grandchildren.

Blogging Boomer Carnival #291

From the Boomer Bloggers, may we wish each of you joy and peace during this holiday season.

This week our bloggers bring you a special holiday gift from SoBabyBoomer,  the Midlife Crisis Queen discusses our holiday sugar addiction and resulting obesity and Tom Sightings is wondering who is going to pay for our Medicare and Social Security. Meanwhile The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide provides helpful tools to research charities you want to contribute to and Life After Married Sara Cornwell compares the demise of a long term relationship with an impending car crash. And on a lighter note, Arabian Tales Katie Foster – that would be me – departs from her Arabian adventures to recount a lovely NYC adventure with her granddaughter– Making Memories, A Grandmother’s Gift.  

Blogging Boomer Carnival #286

The Blogging Boomers are seeking answers this week!  

What exactly did the Hubble Space telescope see? Did your grandchildren’s school receive a grant to secure locally produced foods? Uncertainty is a way of life as we age, how are you coping? Where in the world do people live the longest? How exactly does one get Lucky in Sharjah, UAE?

Read on for the answers.  

Istanbul Travel . . . St. Savior’s Chora Church - A Treasure among the Sultans’ Jewels.

St. Savior's Church Chora

Istanbul is a city of never ending experiences. Here Roger and I find a few real jewels among the Sultan’s treasures. 

The Seven Hills Hotel with its delicious roof top seafood restaurant overlooking the Bosporus, a horse-drawn phaetom ride through Bayukada in the Princes’ Islands just a short breezy ferry trip from the city and what I consider the highlight of our visit - a small 1300^th century church containing some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes – St. Savior’s Church Chora, in Turkish  - Kariye Műzesi. 

The church is simply the most beautiful I have ever seen.

Veteran's Day Boomer Blogger Carnival #285

Happy Veterans Day to all the American men and women who have served in our armed services protecting our great country. This week Boomers are writing about the leadership principals learned by our veterans, how we boomers have weathered the recent storms - the "Recession Storm" and "Super Storm Sandy," and how the 2012 election will effect the American consumer.

For fun, ditch the pies on Thanksgiving and try an incredible Chocolate Molten Cake while you enjoy some "arm chair" travel to Turkey for a look at a collection of the most amazing Byzantine mosaics and frescoes at the 13th century Chora Church.

Read more  . . . Boomer Blogger Carnival #285 

"Thai Hands On" Cooking in Dubai

Chef Roger

Dubai is an intriguing international city that vibrates with an unbridled appetite for grandness. This grandness can be seen all over the city, but tasting it in the city’s vast offerings of restaurants is an experience.

For the adventurous there are small ethnic food “cafeterias” tucked into every nook and cranny in the old section and for the rest of us there are the 5 star restaurants operated by some of today’s most celebrated chefs.  

Lynn & Katie

But once a year, the most sought after reservation in Dubai is at a stylish private villa on the infamous Palm Jumeirah Island, the world’s largest man-made island. 

Blogging Boomers Carnival: Sandy Edition

Welcome to the Blogging Boomer’s Carnival, a compendium of blogs by and for Baby Boomers (and those who love them) this week hosted by the Accidental Locavore. Superstorm Sandy is on everyone's minds this week as the victims work to put their lives back together but there is also a discussion of how to avoid scams when you repair after the storm and how Boomers are leading in the workforce. For your artistic  pleasures read about how Van Gogh followed his passion later in life and where is the most sought after dinner invitation in Dubai! Big week., Enjoy Blogging Boomer Carnival   

The Fall into Winter Boomer Blog Carnival

Laura Lee Carter, the Midlife Crisis Queen is hosting this week's Boomer Blog Carnival.

It’s now the dying time of the year.  All of our lovely aspen leaves fell off last week, just in time for our first snowfall, which arrived this past Thursday.

OK, I do love the snow, but I hate to see the leaves leave us, and I’m not much on raking either… But enough complaining, especially while our friends on the east coast bear the brunt of the storm!

Here’s the latest from our group of top Boomer Bloggers:

Blogging Boomer Carnival #282

Politics, food, travel, care giving, retirement careers, and Halloween costumes are the topics for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival

This week, Rita from The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide is our host for Blogging Boomer Carnival #282.

The carnival is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

Where is the most unique shopping scene in Dubai?

Dubai, like everything else here, takes shopping to the ultimate!

This amazing city is infamous for the extravagance of its shopping experiences. You can gorge yourself at the mega malls, one has more than 1200 stores, packed with every ultra-expensive designer and luxury brand known to woman. You can click right through ever expanding online shopping sites, save at multiple Duty Free Stores at the airport or scrounge for bargains at an outlet mall located in the desert. Shop around the world at Global Village or wander narrow passageways scavenging the traditional souqs for spices, textiles and heaven knows what else.

To tempt shoppers even more, Dubai offers two city wide shopping festivals a year where more than 6,000 stores offer heavy discounts. In fact, retail accounts for around 30 percent of the gross domestic product in Emirate of Dubai.

This is all well and good but maybe you are looking for something more? . . . something priceless?

Where is the most unique shopping experience in Dubai?

October's Blogging Boomer Carnival

     It's October, the month that includes Columbus
Day, Canadian Thanksgiving, United Nations Day,
and of course Halloween. Its Sightings at 60's turn
at the Blogging Boomer Carnival touches on some 
autumnal advice, but seems to focus mainly on health
. . . of the mind,  the spirit and the body. I hope these
posts will open  your eyes to some new perspectives, 
so page down and take a look.

International Day of Peace Sparks a Personal Comment on “The Film” . . . The Mobs . . . The Violence

Today, September 21, is International Day of Peace. It was established by the United Nations in 1982 to “encourage all of mankind to work towards worldwide peace.” 

How ironic that this year the date falls just as our world grapples with seemingly never ending whirlwinds of protests and violence fueled by hate.

The media headlines of the past week are disturbing; because of an amateurish crudely made film, The Innocence of Muslims, more than 30 people are dead and mobs have rioted in 20 countries.  All allegedly in the name of avenging an insult to a religious leader whose religion, Islam, means peace. 

Why are we letting the fanatics on both sides control the agenda?

Boomer Blog Carnival #279

The Boomers Bloggers are in hot pursuit of the most interesting issues of the day. Don’t miss a one. What happens when you don't following your intuition? Boomers love to dunk it in milk - whose anniversary is it? Can you guess what are the "endangered species" in your office? Release your energy in midlife. Is Pinterest an indication of why there is so much obesity in the USA?  What can go wrong with your retirement financial plan? And for our travelers - how to get those cheap airline tickets for Thanksgiving and a trip the most romantic city in India. Read on . . . .

Boomer Blog Carnival #278

The Boomers are back! From Mid-Life crises to developments in the Middle East to a good rack of lamb, it's all here ... Join us!

Travel to India - Udaipur, India's Most Romantic City

Note . . ..  this is continuation of my India trip with my sister Paty and friends Jani and Kathryn. 

Jagmandir Island Palace

Udaipur lays claim to being the most romantic city in India. It is a tranquil beauty of ornately turreted palaces elegantly floating like gleaming jewels on Lake Pichola. The lush dark-green Aravilli hills surround the city in a protective embrace. All are watched over by the Maharana’sCity Palace regally sitting on a hill lake side. I sense the peaceful graciousness that has such a long tradition here.

While in Udaipur we visit the City Palace, the “Crystal Palace” and on the outskirts of town, the Sahelion Ki Bari – Garden of the Maids. We take a sunset boat cruise to visit the enchanting Jagmandir IslandPalace floating on the North end of Lake Pichola. Our guide Suryaaveer (Sunni) is an art expert who travels all over the world lecturing about Indian art and introduces us to the beauty of “Indian Miniature Art.”

Autumn Edition of the Blogging Boomers Blog Carnival!

There’s a chill in the air up here in northern Colorado, and the aspen are at their golden peak up in the Rockies!  After such a hot, dry summer, don’t we all deserve a break? Here’s the latest from our group of top Boomer Blogs: . . . travel to the UAE Liwa Oasis  . . . Is autumn's highlight election day? . . .  How was the world different in 1958 for the time traveler in Stephen King's book 11.22.63? . . . Who doesn't like September? . . .  Can you recognize the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease?  . . . What creepy spider experiments are going on in the SpaceLab? . . . . How is finding love different at 49? Enjoy!

Travel to India - The Oberoi Udaivilas Hotel, Udaipur, A Regal Experience

NOTE: . . . . This is the continuation of my “Incredible Elegant Journey” to India with my sister Paty and good friends Jani and Kathryn.  

Arriving in Udaipur after a short plane ride from Delhi, we are once again royally welcomed by a merry band of greeters. The airline people are there inquiring about the flight - "a bit of a hard landing," - a greeter from the hotel welcomes us profusely and a representative from Elegant Journeys (our tour operator) checks that all is in order. They swiftly gather our belongings and whisk us away in a private car.

We are all a bit anxious on this first "in-country" excursion of our 11-day trip to India. Still a bit dazed by the masses of people and the jumble of Delhi, we are not quite certain what to expect.

The Udaipur streets are every bit as chaotic as Delhi, if on a more delicate scale. Traffic still goes in crazy directions, all manner of animals freely roam the streets, entrepreneurs of every description are in every nook and cranny and the people we pass are constantly smiling.

We know "we are not in Kansas anymore" but we are totally unprepared for our "Royal" Udaipur stay.

The Top 7 Things on Baby Boomers’ Minds

This week the  the Boomer Bloggers weigh in on seven important topics: building bonds with grandchildren; outsourcing your job search; if the world ends in three weeks what's on your to do list; the dilemma of free speech; a "Regal Experience" in India; the latest tech scams; and a yummy question, "Is ice cream ever out of season?" Enjoy!

Boomer Blog Carnival #275: Articles for us over forty gals

Boomers are on the move. 

This week we offer travel suggestions for Labor Day, a tale of "Bollywood" and great sweets from surprising places. 

For those concerned about turning old we ask the questions: What are the unique concerns of Americans 50-64?"; When are we old?; and lastly but very interesting . . . Has life hit you over the head with a frying pan? Be sure to read the answers . . .  and say "Hi!" to the Baby Boomer Bloggers.

Bollywood Dinner Theatre … Only in Dubai!

The lights go down.

Center stage a beautiful Indian woman exquisitely dressed in a seductive sparkling ghagra (skirt) and choli (top) strikes a melodramatic pose.

The heavy bass beat of loud rhythmic music pounds out of the speakers just above our heads.

In the background a gushing waterfall with two suspended TV screens shows flashy dance scenes from Bollywood movies that the on stage performers pantomime.

The exotic dancer gyrates to the rhythm and lip syncs the song. The show is ON!

This is The Moghul Room – The Bollywood Dinner Theatre in Dubai!

11,000 Volunteers Being Human for Every Human Being – Adopt A Camp Ramadan Care Package Project in Dubai

What do you do when 11,000 volunteers show up?

Saher with her "adopted" boys
from the labor camps

I believe that one person can make a difference in the world. What starts with a small act of compassion can become so powerful that thousands of people join in the crusade.

That is exactly what happened with Saher Sheikh’s random act of kindness one day as she stood in the checkout line at her Dubai grocers  watching a laborer carefully count out his coins for a meager meal of bread and laban (a yogurt drink). Seeing the distress in the man’s face, she steps in, pays for the sparse meal and tells him to go get anything else he wants – he simply gets a strawberry drink.

From this small act AdoptA Camp was born. Adopt A Camp is a grass roots organization that today brings assistance to 43 camps helping more than 32,000 laborers in the Dubai area.

The August Blogging Boomers Carnival

      This edition of the Blogging Boomers Carnival touches on a variety of 
subjects from the gustatory to the spiritual, from the world of business 
to the world of good works. So page down and take a look. 

TripAdvisor EveryTrail Walking Tour . . . Dubai’s Art Galleries and Architecture

Sheikh Zayed Road
photo courtesy of flashydubai.com 

My assignment from TripAdvisor to develop five walking tours of Dubai is complete. Here are the final two tours.

Enjoy a special collection of Dubai finest art galleries in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)  - DIFC Gate Village Art Galleries, an exciting mix of fine art, photography, masters and emerging artists.

Too hot to walk about? Try this fun Dubai Metro tour that follows the infamous Sheikh Zayed Road and shows off Dubai's iconic buildings - Skyscraper City - New Dubai.  

The Amazing Race in Dubai

The Amazing Race in Dubai has aired!

In November of 2011, Roger and I joined our American Women’s Association friends for a day of horse racing at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. To our surprise and delight we caught the filming of a segment of The Amazing Race. I hope you read my blog - "Never A Dull Moment in Dubai . . . The Amazing Race at the Meydan Race Track". 

Well, the series has aired and I thought you might be interested in seeing the finished product. If you want to bypass the beginning, go to 7:18 on the timer where the contestants are trying to board a flight from Delhi to Dubai.

Readers who have experienced driving in Dubai will truly appreciate the anguish and tearful frustrations of the contestants as they try to navigate the roads of Dubai. Then add to this surviving dune bashing, camel bashing, Wild Wadi and the dilemma of picking a winner at the horse races and you have one hilarious episode. 

Roger and I laughed through the whole show.  Enjoy!

Boomer Blog Carnival #271

This week's boomer blogs offer an eclectic mix of blogs to inform and entertain you. Does the social mood and market performance affect the US Presidential Elections? Ever grilled a salad? It is yummy! What do our distractions mean for our future and how do male-female friendships change you we age? Did you know that negative energy is like paying in a box full of cat poop!  Who has the best California olive oil? Which Baby Boomer Icon had a  psychedelically painted Porsche? And finally, sit back, relax and watch an hysterical  segment of the Amazing Race that was filmed in Dubai! Don't miss any of the fun!

Ramadan 2012 Adopt-A-Camp Project. . . Join me in a small act of charity

Please join me during the 2012 Ramadan holy season in a simple act of compassion to support the Adopt-A-Camp Care Package project. 

The program will provide 5,000 large “care packages” of personal hygiene products, clothing, bedding and food items to help improve the lives of laborers, some who have been abandoned by their employers. 

This effort is organized by the non-profit Adopt-A-Camp organization and the DubaiChamber of Commerce.

The goal is to raise enough money to cover the cost of 5000 pillows @ AED12.

If I can find 200 people to donate 300 dhs each ($80) we will succeed. Thank you for anything you can do.   Please feel free to ask your friends to help. Contact me email: katiefoster46@gmail.com or
cell:055-525 6619

Boomer Blogger Carnival #270

Hurry Hurry, Step this Way!  the Baby Boomers are Blogging.  Visit this week's Carnival:

Articles include a case for gray hair, reconnecting with family, a riveting blueberry debate, a look at one-quarter of Americans who do not qualify for health insurance and how Mitt will handle, shall we Pinterest, travelers most ridiculous stories and tips on buying from salespersons who knock on your door!  Enjoy!

From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall - Travelers Best, Worse and Most Ridiculous Stories from the Road

NOTE: This guest post is from David Slenk the editor and author of  "From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall: Travelers' Best, Worst and Most Ridiculous Stories from the Road" to which I am a contributor. The other stories are great too! Make sure to get a copy.   

Just about a year ago, I found myself in the middle of Bolivia, sharing stories over drinks with a group of fellow travelers after a day of exploring. Over the previous month, I had visited the Uyuni Salt Flats, placed my hands in footprints left by dinosaurs millions of years ago, descended into the “mountain that eats men” to meet miners still working with 500 year old technology, and cruised across Lake Titicaca. I had met adventurers from Australia, Holland, Japan, Canada, Brazil and dozens of other countries.

Travel to India - The Ultimate Elegant Journey . . .Oh my! The Oberoi Hotels

Jani, Kathryn, Paty & Katie at the Taj Mahal

As an voracious traveler, arm chair and otherwise, I have many beautiful memories of extraordinary trips – a romantic sunset camel ride in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan; a dreamy interlude in an idyllic inn in the small village of Sirince near Ephesus, Turkey; flying falcons and eagles in the desert of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE; a harrowing transatlantic crossing from Lisbon, Portugal to Miami, USA; and superbly simple Corvette road trips exploring Florida’s back roads.

But I have to say that now I have one that tops all of these. India!

This was not just any trip to India – this was the ultimate Elegant Journey (EJ).

A new Blog Carnival for Boomers, while Colorado burns!

This week Boomer Carnival Blogs captures the devastation of the Colorado fires, picks the top 3 food magazine to make you drool, shows you how to read Kindle & Nook books for free,  reports on a recent incredibly elegant journey to India, quizzes you on whether these baby boomer icons are dead and shares a great way to avoid analysis paralysis.

TripAdvisor EveryTrail Walking Tour . . . The Ultimate - Downtown Dubai

My assignment from TripAdvisor to create five walking tours of Dubai has been great fun to develop. Doing the research for the tours has led me to find such interesting facts about my adopted city.

Burj Khalifa - the tallest
building in the world.

Do you know how many “Ultimates” – the superlatives - there are in the Downtown Dubai area? 

It is amazing . . . but then again in Dubai being the first, the biggest, the best is a much sought after quest!

The Ultimate . ..Downtown Dubai Walking Tour

The Chedi Muscat . . . A Weekend Excursion to Oman

Chedi Muscat

There is something about the lure of a new road that sets Roger’s motor humming! The recently opened highway from Dubai to Fujairah #102 is calling his name.

“Up for little road trip this weekend?” Roger asks.  

I am thinking, why go for just a "little" ride when you can go for a "real" ride and enjoy an entire weekend away?

Responding with a wry grin I offer, “Good Idea. How about a run to Muscat, Oman? I hear the Chedi Muscat hotel is very nice.” 

Blogging Boomer Carnival #263

This week we review books for boomers, mourn the loss of a very special farm, enjoy my trip to Oman and have quiz to see if you are really a boomer. But the REAL bonus is a poem . . . Boomers in the Land that Made You and Me . . .. if you are a boomer - don't miss it!  

TripAdvisor EveryTrail Walking Guides . . .Dubai Souqs & Bastakiya

I recently picked up a small assignment from TripAdvisor that has been so much fun - create 5 walking tours of Dubai. 

It was easy to come up with the first four – 1) my favorite place in all of Dubai – The Souqs; 2) a very close second - the historic Bastakiya area in Burj Dubai; 3) DIFC Art Galleries – something that has been on my bucket list for some time and so glad I finally went; and 4) The Ultimate Dubai – I was amazed to find so many world records all in one place – Downtown Dubai.  

But, number 5 has been a bit more difficult to identify. 

Boomer Blog Carnival #262

The Blogging Boomers have a variety of offering for you this week. What emotional type are you? What about your spouse/partner? SoBabyBoomer wonders what happens when opposites get together. The Midlife Crisis Queen is blowing OFF STEAM with her new blog while the Accidental Locavore cooked up a tasty baked asparagus fries recipe for us. And Tom Sightings wonders how one goes on vacation when you are already retired! On the financial front, Rita Robison tackles the problem of switching banks. And from Arabian Tales, Dubai walking tours of the souqs and the historic Bastakiya neighborhood. Even if you can't get to Dubai you will enjoy an "arm chair" walk through these exotic locations. 

Boomer Blog Carnival #261

Today we honor the brave men & women who have sacrificed for our country.

Arabian Tales Katie Foster (who lives in Dubai) tells of a friend’s Trip to Normandy Beach. “To these we owe the highest resolve that the cause for which they died shall live,” Omaha Beach Memorial, Normandy, France. Because of the sacrifice of our military personnel and their families, Americans and the people of manyother countries now live in freedom and peace. A big salute to all our USA military war veterans on this Monday’s Memorial Day.

Trip to Normandy Beach Sparks Memorial Day Remembrance . . .

“To these we owe the highest resolve that the cause for which they died shall live.”

                                                                         Omaha Beach Memorial, Normandy France

A big salute to all our USA military war veterans on this Monday’s Memorial Day.

Because of the sacrifice of our military personnel and the sacrifices of their families, Americans and the people of many other countries now live in freedom and peace.

Blogging Boomers Blog Carnival #260

This has been such a special month astronomically speaking.  First we had the super moon on May 5th, and then an annular solar eclipse. Don’t miss these pictures, because we won’t see another until 2023!

Midlife writers: Have you heard about Midlife Collage yet?  It’s a website where anyone age 40-60 can share their stories for everyone else to enjoy.  The story chosen to be the best each week by readers, wins the author $50 plus bragging right!

Big news!  My story: “AMBUSHED BY LOVE!” was the big winner last week!  Thanks to all of you for your votes.  

On to the business at hand! What have my fellow midlife bloggers been talking about this week?  EVERYTHING!

14 REASONS WHY MOM IS ALWAYS RIGHT . . . FOR TEENAGERS

Brooke & Nanny

With Mother’s Day in the USA coming up this Sunday, I am digressing from my regular Arabian travel stories and posting a special message to my teenage granddaughters Brooke and Lindsey.

I just want to impart a little grandmotherly advice to you as you travel the uncertain paths of the tumultuous teenage years. 

Love and miss you Brooke and Lindsey. 

Lindsey & Nanny

For my readers, let me know if I missed any important points! I am certain these translate into any language. Please also share with your teenagers. I would love to know what they think.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!   


Everyone, don't forget to call your Moms and Grandmothers on Sunday!

1. Mom is the Queen  . . . and ruler of the Kingdom! 

Blogging Boomers Happy Mother's Day

What do you think every mother wants? The Accidental Locavore has the privilege of hosting this week’s Blogging Boomer’s Carnival and mothers seem to be on a lot of peoples minds.

And we’d like to welcome Rita Robison, the newest edition to the carnival! Be sure to check out her blog: The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide. 

36 HOURS in DUBAI . . . Top 10 Things to Do and See in Dubai!

Jon & Elaine & the Burj Al Arab

Expats living in Dubai are delighted to have friends and family visit their adopted city. The lucky ones get to stay for an extended period but in many cases it is simply a pass through on the way to/from other travels.  So in a limited amount of time, what are the “must do/see” places in Dubai?

I had to make this decision recently when good friends Jon and Elaine Krupnick stopped by on their way home from an extensive trip to Sri Lanka and India, immediately followed by my sister Paty Barr and her friend Kathryn Brandt who were stopping by to pick up me and Jani Diedam on their way to our excursion to India (more on that later).

Paty & Kathryn's first trip to the desert

Blogging Boomers and Their Wide Ranging Tastes

The Boomers are once again cooking up a blog’s full of delightful dishes, offering as many specialties as even the hungriest Baby Boomer could possibly want. For starters, the Accidental Locavore  reports that she finally got back in the kitchen. What’s on the menu? Homemade pastrami from local grassfed beef. Check it out here.

Blogging Boomer Carnival #257

This week the Boomer Carnival tackles social security legislation that needs attention, the ideal retirement home, beautiful photos from the market in Nice, France to treat your palate as you read insightful comments on changing careers and falling in love at our age! And for the arm chair traveler, take a trip to the fjords of Arabia.

LIVING IN AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY

Note: This article appeared in the March 2012 issue of Loyola University in New Orleans Alumni Magazine LOYNO.  I was honored to be asked to submit an article about living in Dubai. Living in a Islamic Country. I have added additional photos to the article. I received my BA in Journalism from Loyola in 1968. 

Jumeirah Mosque, Dubai

In my wildest dreams I never thought I would be living in a foreign country let alone an Islamic country in the Middle East. A phone call New Year’s Day 2010 sent my husband Roger packing for a flight to Dubai where his company was relocating him. I would follow two months later.

Reactions from family and friends to our announcement that we were moving to the Middle East ranged from total disbelief, “You shouldn't be doing this at your age;” to sheer terror, “What about all the terrorists there;” to concern, “Mom, you are such an independent women, how are you going to live over there where women are so oppressed;” to the comical,“You're going to look great in a headscarf.”

MUSANDAM – the Fjords of Arabia . . . A Weekend Excursion from Dubai

The drive from Dubai to Musandam, called the Fjords of Arabia, is described in tour books as being one of raw rustic beauty but otherwise uneventful.

Not so for our intrepid two car caravan.

Diane discovers that camels love her apples.

As we cut across the UAE desert, traveling from the Dubai to the coastline in Ras Al Khaimah, we encounter a small caravan of camels sauntering along the side of the paved desert road.

They appear to be out for a leisurely morning stroll and are totally unfazed by the two SUVs that stop suddenly ejecting eight gleeful expats.

HIGH TEA at the BRITISH EMBASSY . . . DUBAI ELEGANCE for a GOOD CAUSE

Photo courtesy of www.afternoontea.co.ok

Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, disliking the 'sinking feeling’ she got in late afternoon, is credited with the creation of the British tradition of afternoon tea.

She started having a pot of tea in the afternoon, inviting friends to join her, and before long there were cakes and breads added and the ladies were ensconced in this iconic tradition. I wonder who brilliantly introduced Champagne at tea-time?

I partook of high tea on one of my visits to London and can’t say that I liked the tea or the treats. But,  that was not the case at the  British Embassy's   recent High Tea and Jazz to benefit The Flying Angel. 

Boomer Blogging Carnival

Winter has been sent packing, Spring is in the air and I am happy to be hosting this weeks Boomers Blog Carnival #251. Take a peek into the world of boomers, midlifers, travelers and foodies and see what life has in store for us across the globe.

After seeing the new film My Week with Marilyn, the Midlife Crisis Queen felt like writing about MARILYN: The saddest story of American celebrity.

This week, SoBabyBoomer discusses boomer retirement anxiety along with providing some retirement tips.

CAMEL RACES DUBAI STYLE

What has 96 legs, 24 humps, uses electronic robots to increase speed and is chased by a pack of wild SUVs??

Camel Racing! 

This intriguing sport has eluded Roger and I for two years so when good friend, fellow blogger and ace photographer Jani Deidam announced she is in possession of a schedule for the Dubai Camel Races we say,  “Let’s go!”

Blogging Boomer Carnival #248

I am happy to host the Blogging Boomer Carnival this week. Did you know that Baby Boomers represent 28% of the USA population and that a Baby Boomer turns 50 every 7 seconds?  More importantly we can expect to live until 83! This makes the Blogging Boomer Carnival so relevant because it is so full of useful information to make this final stretch of our journey meaningful and fun!

This week the Midlife Crisis Queen asks the timely question: Why do we continue to eat ourselves to death?

One of the most potent of the weapons of influence around us is the rule for reciprocation. Reciprocity flows from the law of love which is "the gift of giving" without the "hope of reward or pay," or serving others.  For an example of how the Law of Reciprocity is being put into practice today, go to: SoBabyBoomer.com  

DUBAI . . . LOOKING UNDER THE VEIL

Photo: www.solarnavigator.net/geography/dubai.htm

Dubai, UAE is the archetypal 'City of Contrasts.' Brash and flashy, and sometimes a little tawdry, a glimpse beneath this veil reveals a proud culture determined to retain its heritage while racing at breakneck speed to embrace the 21st century.

“I have a writing assignment to describe Dubai in 500 words using descriptive words and dialogue and I want to show the contrasts and tensions most visitors never see. Can you help?” I ask my expat friend Sara as we sip our coffee in the Mall of the Emirates.

Blogging Boomer Carnival #247

This week, SoBabyBoomer.com is hosting the two-hundred-forty-seventh carnival of blogging boomers who write about what's happening in their world.   Baby Boomers are ever changing as the world turns.  Boomers continue to personally evolve; setting new trends along their wake.   

Come to the fair and observe interesting segments of trend-setting happenings that seek life's meaning through passionate living: . .the best cups of hot chocolate in NYC . . . why some survive mid-life crisis and some don't . . . The Art of Toad kissing, with advanced-life threatening cancer would  heavily-invasive course of treatment for you . . . what is'normal' for work . . . appliances that won't die  . . look under the veil of Dubai . . . what is going to be the biggest influence on the outcome of the Presidential election?

Travel to Turkey - Blue Mosque, Istanbul Turkey . . . An Architectural Treasure Worth every Painful Step

The gradual crescendo of the alarm is a rising torture. Even the beauty of the first morning’s light through the kitschy curtains doesn't help the pain. I can’t believe it is time to start again. Every muscle and bone in my body is screaming for mercy.

I roll over and Roger is already awake. He is just sitting on the side of the bed, hands bracing him up and head hanging low. He slowly turns to look at me and we both just start laughing. The entire situation is so ludicrous that laughter is the only way to relieve the tension.

Katie & Roger at Ephesus

We are on Day 8 of our 10 day tour of Turkey. 

We survived the first five days in Ephesus with minor complaints but Istanbul has been a different situation all together.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye -- Boomer Bloggers Carnival #245 is here!

The Carnival is in town!  A gathering of the most amazing bloggers:  "baby boomers".  C'mon in! 

Is retirement better than boomers imagined? Can your birthday cake outlive you?  . . . Do you have too much of the Mothering gene?. . . What's the secret of keeping love and romance alive? . . . Why is the Blue Mosque considered one of the wonders of the world? . . . What do people on their deathbeds say the regret most? 

DUBAI- ABU DHABI VACATION . . . Russell Foster’s Excellent Adventure

Why is it whenever I suggest to family members that they should come visit us in Dubai I get dead silence and a painful looks? Where are the adventurous genes in our kids? I know it is long 12 hour trip from the east coast of USA and the ticket is a bit steep, but still, we are offering them a once in a lifetime opportunity to get out of their comfort zones and experience a different culture; a culture that is at the forefront of the history being made today.

And, the seven grandchildren have been gifted a ticket by Roger and I. Such a deal!

Ah! At last! One brave soul has picked up the gauntlet. Our oldest son Russell who lives in Denver, Colorado, announces in October that his ticket is bought and he is coming for 10 days in mid November to catch the Formula 1 races. Leave it to the oldest to be the boldest.

BLOGGING BOOMERS CARNIVAL #242

This week Lucy has the pleasure of hosting our Boomers Blog Carnival where we talk about a variety of issues that resonate with many of us at this point in our lives. From food to politics, our opinions and ideas are meant to be shared and enjoyed. Go ahead and read on to see what we are discussing this week.