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.