Author Holly Warah's novel is a compelling read. Filled with intricate details of mixed cultural marriages, the novel never fails to intrigue and satisfy the reader. 

Where Jasmin Blooms is a refreshing novel that delicately and adroitly navigates the divide between cultural and religious beliefs and customs of Palestinian Islamists and American Christians. 

Following the joys and challenges of three women from different decades, and two different continents, whose lives are entwined by marriage, the novel enlightens the reader to the joys and frustrations each face. This book was so compelling that I actually read it in one sitting.

In today's world of clashing cultures, this is a must read for anyone interested in understanding cultural and religious differences. I heartily recommend it for its honest and thoughtful commentary on cross-cultural families.   

Where Jasmin Blooms

Deep Deceit . . . a must read thriller!

Living in a foreign country is a lifestyle not for the faint-hearted, even for a professional expat like Deep Deceit’s protagonist Celeste.

Navigating unfamiliar rules and customs when things go awry can be heart wrenching. Throw in the mysterious allure of Dubai and Saudi Arabia and you have a double whammy that makes for an intriguing thriller.  

Anne O’Connell,in her second novel, gets it right. Set in the tumultuous Middle East, the pace quickens and the plot thickens as Celeste battles an abusive charlatan husband, searches for her kidnapped 18-year old temperamental daughter and defies death threats from Saudi nationals while trying to cope with her own fragile mental health.

Not only is this novel an exhilarating “can’t put it down” page-turner, it also is an excellent look into what an expat can expect living in the Middle East. Woven in this excellent read are the essential elements  needed to survive in the unfamiliar world of a Muslim country.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a real thriller but also for anyone interested in knowing what it is like for an expat to live in Dubai and the Middle East.  

Deep Deceit is available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback. In celebration of launch week, it's free to download on Kindle March 10th and 11th! Amazon.com link - http://amzn.to/1zZrxEU and the Amazon.co.uk link - http://amzn.to/1BXWpXB

Follow Deep Deceit on Facebook. 

Top 10 Tips for Enjoying the Al Dhafra Camel Festival, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Note to readers: This is part one of a three part series about our adventure to the Al Dhafra Camel Festival. Coming soon are Camel Bling-Bling and How to Judge a Camel Beauty Contest. 

Stay tuned.

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Al Dhafra Camel festival Million Street parade. See Tip#10

There is an art to enjoying a camel festival . . .

If you are looking for an authentic Arab experience, the Dahfra Camel Festival is a must see.

This celebrated festival occurs the last two weeks of December in a desert camp city that sprouts up just outside of Madinat Zayed about a 2 hour ride into the desert from Abu Dhabi. This is a serious festival. At the 2013 Festival, the winners of the various festival competitions took home 50 million dirhams ($13,623,978+) in prize money including 198 top-of-the-line SUVs.    

In 2012, Roger and I ranked this camel festival #2 in our 2012 Top Adventures In and Around Dubai; for 2013 it will retain its #2 slot. We just love getting down with the natives!

So here are my Top 10 Tips for enjoying the one-and-only Dhafra Camel Festival:

My First Omani Wedding . . . A Distinctive Arab Experience

The Bride’s Love Seat

The female security guard discretely slips me through a side door and gestures for me to sit at the table in the corner. The Arabic music is pulsating and the room is reverberating with the nervous energy of 400 women. Suddenly, the lights dim and everyone turns to watch. A bride, dressed in a Western-style long white wedding gown with matching trailing veil has a death grip on her bouquet of roses as she takes very slow measured steps down the center aisle towards the “Bride’s Love Seat.” Her unsmiling face is devoid of emotion.

Following the bride are several bejeweled “bridesmaids” moving en mass like a swarm of bees following their queen. Rising above the pounding music, warbling female tongues emit the zaghareet, the high-pitched ululation made by Arab women to congratulate the bride. The level of noise is deafening but I am not going to miss a moment of this.

Making the Most of Your Expat Experience

Moving is recognized as one of the most stressful activities known to man.

Add to that moving to a foreign country, and the anxiety scale goes wild. One needs a lot of coping skills to survive and enjoy expat living.

I am delighted to pass to you a great article, Making the Most of Your Expat Experience, written by my good friend and fellow expat Holly Warah, a 12-year resident of Dubai, UAE.

Holly writes a blog, Arabic Zeal, that is packed with very useful information of interest to expat.  Whether you are newly moved or considering the opportunity, Holly provides you with some great insight.

Hot Rod Memories . . . The Hottest Seat in Abu Dhabi

The dilemma of finding a meaningful gift for the one you love is perplexing. Early in our relationship I figured out that Roger really didn't need or want any “things.” So what am I going to do for him on his special days?

Got It! Experiences .  .  . exciting – new - unique life experiences.

The "Silver Surfer" races on the Yas Forlua 1 track.

I can say that after 10 years it is getting very tough to find new experiences. Roger, the builder of airports, has flown in a glider, a World War ll Texan T-6 warbird, a helicopter and a bi-plane. Roger, the car enthusiast has raced a 600 HP NASCAR race car at the Daytona International Speedway, raced his treasured silver Corvette on the Yas Formula 1 track and successfully mastered racing a Segway around Downtown Dubai.  This list could go on but I bet you get the point.

So, what do I give Roger for our tenth wedding anniversary?  

How does a non-Muslim living in a Muslim country survive and thrive during Ramadan? . . . Thoughts from Abu Dhabi.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is upon us. For a non-Muslim living in a Muslim country like the United Arab Emirates, this means making some lifestyle adjustments.  To make this easier, the first thing a non-Muslim must do is understand the practices and rituals of Ramadan. The second thing is to find a way to thrive during Ramadan.

MALALA YOUSAFZAI is ONLY one of many children seeking education.

Note: I feel compelled to repost this blog in support of Malala's speech on July 12, 2013, before the UN advocating for education for all children. On her 16th birthday, having survived an attack by the Taliban, this young girl inspired an entire world with her worlds of compassion, courage and determination.  If you feel compelled to help a disadvantaged orphan child in the UAE receive an education please read the post below and contact me. 

The media is full of reports of the young Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban for speaking out for the education of women. This inhumane act has sent reverberations around the world rightfully denouncing the Taliban, supporting Malala and everyone's right to education.

Malala is not alone in her quest for education. There are many more Malala’s in the Middle East and Asia who must struggle each day to obtain their education.

I was fortunate to meet such a young woman through the Al Ihsan Charity Association. While this young woman is lucky to live in the United Arab Emirates where education of women is encouraged, nevertheless she had to overcome many obstavles to obtain her education. 

Here is her story . . .    

A Culinary Voyage Through the Streets of Old Dubai with Frying Pan Adventures

Frying Pan Adventures foodie explorers 

Varshik, Donna,Kate, Bob & Arva

Many times on my explorations of old Dubai I pass by multitudes of hole-in-the-wall restaurants lining the streets.  Each cafeteria, as these small street-restaurants are called, advertise their offerings with grainy pictures of peculiar looking plates of food and strange – or maybe exotic - aromas settling over the sidewalk.

I always wonder if some really delicious foodie finds are lurking inside. I must confess that I have been tempted but never found the required courage to drop in for a bite.

But that all changed when I met Arva Ahmed. I ran into Arva online through her blog I Live in A Frying Pan. I was instantly taken by her fresh wit, funny take on life and sheer joy of exploring. I was certainly intrigued by the hidden food gems she featured. When I read she was developing ethnic food walking tours in Dubai, I jumped at the chance to try one.  I was not disappointed.

What is one of the great losses of expat living in Dubai? American Football!

First touchdown of the inaugural Desert Bowl Game

is scored by the Abu Dhabi Wildcats.

“Who let the dogs out!” Or, should that be camels?

Guess what my lovely husband Roger finds in Dubai? American football! What a great surprise for poor football-starved Roger.

One of the great losses of expat life in Dubai is watching a good American football game. 

Grocery Shopping in Dubai . . . A Never-ending Scavenger Hunt

Oh Dubai! How I love the adventure of living with you! 

The thrill of navigating your roads, the adrenalin-pumping gauntlet of your bureaucratic mazes, the tongue-twisting test of translating your many English dialects  . . . and the adventure of foraging for groceries! 

Life is a never-ending adventure here!

When one relocates to a new locale, it doesn't have to be as exotic as Dubai just any ordinary city will do, it is always a challenge to locate the right outlets to purchase the food stuffs with which you love to cook. In my case, we are talking American food products.

Be you a lowly beginner, a seasoned chef or an intrepid food explorer we all face the same dilemma. Where do you find the ingredients for that most perfect dish that makes your family sing your praises?

Read on, you will be very surprised to learn what is the hardest product to find in Dubai!

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - One of the most talked about attractions in the world!

Official image of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

It seems quite a lot of people agree with me that the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is one of the most wonderful places on this earth!

Just this week the UAE newspapers reported that users of TripAdvisor ranked it as number 16 on the list of the top most talked about attractions in the world. It joins the ranks of such iconic global sites as Sydney Harbor, the Coliseum in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Central Park in New York City. 

What makes it so special?

Battle of the Chefs - Who is Dubai's Top Chef?

"Battle of the Chefs"
Nineteen at The Address Montgomerie

Ok. So I admit it! I am a rabid foodie – a person having an overly zealous interest in food.

I love Food! I love to read about it, I love to shop for it, I love to experiment with it, I love to cook it and I really love to eat it!

I love nothing better than to slosh around my kitchen trying out new dishes, new techniques and/or new ingredients. And God bless Roger for willingly eating the good, the bad and the ugly.

So when my friend Theresa Dommett invites us to Dubai’s “Battle of the Chefs.” faster than Emerile Lagasse can say “BAM, I accept!”  

“Roger, we have another adventure!” I proudly announce. “We are going to watch the top chefs in Dubai battle it out in the kitchen and then we get to taste and judge their unique creations just like the Iron Chef on TV.”  Words cannot express his delight!

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.

"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. 

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?

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.

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.

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.