Only in the UAE! We are not able to attend - oh dear!

UAE stages camel beauty contest

The first camel beauty contest in the UAE took place six years ago Camel beauty contest Ten thousand camels will be fluttering their long eyelashes in a unique international beauty pageant being held in the United Arab Emirates. The contest in Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and biggest events of its kind, with more than $9m (£4.5m; 5.8m euros) and 100 cars in prizes up for grabs. The contest will feature camels or "ships of the desert" from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Organisers hope it will remind Emiratis of traditional desert values. The contest is part of the Mazayin Dhafra festival, which starts on Wednesday, and organisers say it is the biggest contest of its kind to be staged in the Arabian Gulf. A panel of expert camel appreciators will choose the best animals for each age group. Entry is open to anyone who can prove ownership of a pedigree camel, and the animals must be free from contagious diseases, and without any serious defects. The ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, has sponsored the event. It is said he wants Emiratis to help preserve their national identity through the respect of an animal central to Arab culture. The first camel beauty contest in the UAE took place six years ago. Camel racing is a popular sport, with money from the region's oil riches often placed in huge bets. Long before the oil industry moved in, the Bedou tribes prized the animal known as the "ship of the desert". Camels were the main measurement of wealth, along with horses and falcons.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The Sheikh Zayed mosque is on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi as you approach from Al Ain. You pass the mosque on your way into the city from the airport so it is difficult for us to miss it really. The mosque looms large on the skyline both in daylight and at night when it is fully illuminated.

Dedicated to the memory of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan late President of the UAE and fondly known as the father of the UAE. the mosque is a tribute to a life that made a huge difference in the UAE. Sheikh Zayed has his photo in many conspicuous places and is seen as the most revered and honored leader of the Emarati population. His sons are the current rulers and his memory lives on through them. I think I could do a whole exhibition of the monuments to Zayed - they are everywhere.

Now back to the mosque.......We have been watching the construction of this building since our arrival in the country. Even at that time the mosque was a magnificently lit building that was part of our introduction to the country. Our limousine driver whisked us past as we approached Abu Dhabi on the night of our arrival. I think our comments at the time were something like - "Holy cow what is that!" We tried to gain access to it in our first couple of weeks but it was not yet open to the public.

Just recently we heard that there were tours being conducted for school children and that the mosque was accepting visitors, so we decided to have a look at it. We took Jenny, the trainer from BCA who is doing management training at the University with us.

Here is a link to some information about the mosque. No amount of written words can describe the grandeur of the place. On leaving Ron said - "I really feel like I have been to church" - he was overwhelmed by the building, even more than the Vatican. I suppose that's because it was just so unexpectedly peaceful and beautiful. It does compare already with the Vatican and I believe when finally finished will have to be added to the list of the great wonders of the world.

Here are some photos - one of them is us in the main prayer hall. Yes that's me in the abbaya and shayla! Women must cover from head to foot and men must not wear short trousers and also need to cover their shoulders. The other woman is Jenny.

An Arabian Fairytale Part Four: Some culture in the desert

Time has passed so quickly in the desert camp and yet the days are slow and the pace is quiet. The weeks race by over days that change little. The Princess and the Sheikh have their daily duties to attend to and the leisurely evenings are cool and pleasant. The Princess knows there will be times like this when each of the days melt into one another.

Having moved to this strange place the need was felt to learn the local language. So the Sheikh, the Princess, some of the ladies of the hareem and Sheikh Brian Ibn Playin Gitar all signed up for lessons in Arabic speaking and writing. This turned out to be similar to a camel endurance race. Ivett of Czech and Blandine of France have proven to be the stayers with Nerissa of Victoria, Moraig of Kiwiland (wife of Sheikh Brian), the Princess and the Sheikh (ie. Sheikh Ron Bin Drinkin Redwine) all falling short of the course and throwing it in just after learning numbers and colours and a few letters of the alphabet!

However that has not meant that the desert has been totally devoid of all culture and the Sheikh and the Princess have been out and about seeking cultural opportunities reminiscent of the old country.

The first opportunity came when the Teatro alla Scala Symphony gave a concert at the Al Jahili Fort. It was indeed an auspicious occasion with visiting Sheikhs from other kingdoms, ladies all dressed in their finery and the Italian military on parade. The symphony was a string ensemble and they played Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and other composers the Sheikh and the Princess had not heard of before (a lull in musical education perhaps!) The setting was lovely with the fort well lit and looking very fairytale appropriate. A slight breeze lifted the dust from the floor of the desert and puffs could be seen floating amongst the violins and cellos – I wonder what the musicians thought of that! It didn’t stop them from playing and the notes wafted above the fort and out on the air to the desert beyond, settling in the palms and houses of the surrounding neighbourhood.

And just this week the Sheikh once again showed his benevolence with the purchase of tickets to the Bolshoi Ballet performing Swan Lake at the Emirates Palace. Here is a link to photos of the Emirates Palace. http://picasaweb.google.com/CherylandRon/EmiratesPalace it is quite a spectacular spot for the presentation of a ballet and the auditorium was beautiful. The stage design was excellent and the ballet was perfect. Here are some photos, but that can never show the absolute beauty of this ballet and the precision and timing of the dancers. The movement of feet was amazing and the athleticism of the performers was superb.

The Princess and the Sheikh have now returned to the desert camp and the passing of the days - likes sands through the hourglass - and there is plenty of sand around here! The Sheikh and the Princess will be returning to the land of the kangaroos in July and they are looking forward to counting down the weeks as they pass, and yet still enjoying the pleasures of the desert as time goes by.

Is anyone out there?

There are days that go by slowly and some that just fly. Today was a slow mover for me. So I thought I might hop on and do a blog entry and then started to wonder what I might write about this time.
You see it doesn't really matter where you are in the world at some stage everything sort of settles into the mundane. You rise in the morning shower and dress for work, eat breakfast, have a short chat about how the day might go, hop in the car and off to the office. You hang out there most of the day doing what needs to be done and talking to some people and maybe slipping out for lunch; and then you find yourself in the car and on the way home again.
Once home you chat about how the day went, decide what to eat for dinner, check the emails and log on to MSN to see who is about, have dinner and maybe slip out to a movie, or an art class, or Arabic lessons. Ron has a bit more free time than me so he gets to the gym and the pool. I might go for a walk with him or Nerissa.
At some stage you think about planning for a night out with friends and what you might do on the weekend.
So really it is not too much different to living back there on the Central Coast. The company and the climate is different and the work is interesting. We miss people and we are happy to be away sometimes, other times we would like to be back there in the thick of it.
And then there are the interesting things like travelling to strange and exotic places and eating different foods and experiencing different cultures and we are really enjoying that part. Every now and then I wonder though - does anyone read this blog? Is there anyone out there ........... hello ............................. hellooo................h .. . .

Dhow heading for home

This picture was painted for my boss, and friend, Sheila. She is leaving soon to go back to Canada. I hope she likes it!

Al Ain Air Show

Last weekend we went to the local Al Ain Air Show. We’d been to a couple of these back in Oz and so didn’t think it would be anything special, but it was something to do.

And so we were pleasantly surprised to see it was a day of non-stop entertainment. The show was recently upgraded and is now part of the world aerobatic competition circuit. So we were treated to a dozen pilots all making their planes do loops, turns, vertical climbs, stalls, and things that planes were never meant to do. They were followed by a number of formation flying teams from various countries, including the Saudi Air Force. Unlike some countries, UAE has not banned wing-walking, and so this was also a part of the show.

For me, the highlight was the feathered flyer! Falcons have a special place in UAE culture. Emiratis train them and use them to hunt. So it was a treat to see a falcon released by its handler to chase a small remote controlled model plane towing a “bird” target. The falcon chased the “bird” at top speed for about 5 minutes, finally diving and snatching it from the tow line and then returning to the ground with its quarry where it waited patiently for the handler.

For me, the day ended with a flight by the local air group’s recently restored Bleriot plane. However, there was also a typically huge UAE finale – stunt craft flying patterns across the strip in front of the spectator stand, accompanied by explosions of dynamite, sending flames and black smoke erupting into the air. Not for me, but the crowd loved it!

Click on the picture to enlarge it. And there are more photos on our Picasa Album page at: www.picasaweb.google.com/cherylandron

More driving in mountains

Today we set off to have a better look at Oman and found ourselves once again driving through mountains. I have to say the mountains in Oman are VERY different to the mountains in Italy. When I think of mountains I think lots of trees lining winding roads with babbling brooks running through them. And of course our recent trip to Italy was through mountains covered with soft and sparkling snow.
Well the mountains in Oman are not at all like that but they are also beautiful in their own way. The are stark and stunning. There is scarcely a tree or even a shrub to be seen. When science fiction writers look for inspiration for their descriptions of the landscapes of alien planets I think they must just drop in on Oman.
The Omani mountains look to have literally burst through the crust of the earth. The shapes are sharp and angular. The colours form in tiers from ochre to green and purple to grey. Some seem to have been laid "layer upon layer" like folds of pasta as it comes out of a pasta machine. Other parts look like they have been forced into concertinas where the folds wrap back on themselves leaving twists and turns of colour that resemble giant clam shells across the landscape.
We wound our way through the mountains to the town of Sohar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, a northern section of the Arabian Sea.
We had lunch at the Sohar Beach Hotel. It was the first time since leaving Australia that we have been able to hear the surf breaking and washing on the beach. It is such a lovely background to lunch and a glass of wine ......... aahhh!
We drove along the sea front at Sohar, watching the surf and reminiscing about our days at home on the Central Coast where every square inch of the waterfront has cafe's and shops. This beach in Oman had a lovely sea wall and a beautiful promenade - and not one person out for a stroll. It was a perfect day for kite and wind surfing, for a quick dip for the kids (even though it was fairly chilly!) and a picnic on the beach - but not a soul in sight. It reminds us just how different the culture and lifestyle is here in the Middle East. No teenagers hanging around the beaches with their boards looking for a break. No cars lined up with people gazing out to sea and listening to the radio. No groups of girls eyeing off the guys showing off on their boards! We really are a long way from home and today we felt it.
However not being the types to allow ourselves to slip into the maudlin we headed back towards the 'desert camp' through the stunning mountains and along the twisting highway. We remind ourselves that we are living our dream, travelling and having adventures we would have only talked about if we had stayed at home. We would never have seen the mountains of Oman in all their grandeur had we not taken on this adventure.
So to all of you at home - we miss you and we love you...and some days are just harder than others when we are so far away.

Italy - La Roma

The last few days of our holiday had been reserved for Rome. We had about 2 and a half days to enjoy the sights and see all the things tourists are supposed to see in Rome. It would have been lovely to stay on and get the ‘feel’ of the Italian capital but I really think summer may be the time to do that and we will return one day and enjoy Rome in the sunshine. Our last day was spent in the wind with a chill factor of about 0 degrees – plenty of walking to keep warm and still needed a brandy to take the chill off!

So what did we see in Rome?

• The Colosseum
• The Area di Tito and the Palatino
• The Pantheon
• Palazzo Venetia
• The Spanish Steps
• Circo Massimo
• Walked along the Tiber
• Castel Sant Angelo
• Piazza del Popolo
• Mausoleo Augusto
• Piazza del Repubblica

and much more…we visited a couple of churches, we strolled through parks and corsos... we also hopped a bus that had a commentary in English and saw many of the sights from the top of an open double-decker bus.

The highlight was the Vatican and the Basilica San Pietro. There was a life size (in fact probably larger than life) nativity scene in St Peter’s Square and despite the queue of about an hour to gain entry the Basilica was magnificent and worth the wait. I have to say that all churches, mosques and monuments I have ever seen just pale into insignificance when compared to the Basilica of St Peter in the Vatican City.

The Christmas music played over the loudspeakers was beautiful and made us both a little homesick and reminded us that this year Christmas was without family and friends. We missed them all very much.

So for all our friends and family and many colleagues and chums from across the years we wish you a Happy New Year and hope that all you want for 2008 occurs for you. We will still be here for Christmas this year and there will be no Christmas break for us as the Muslim Calendar changes and Eid Al Adha does not coincide with Christmas this year. We look forward to a mid year break in June/July and will be planning on seeing as many of you as possible when we are visiting home. In the meantime there are more adventures planned for us so keep your eye on this spot! Happy New Year everyone.

Italy - Teramo and surrounding areas

After settling into Casale we decided to go exploring the surrounding territory and set off to find the Adriatic Sea which is only about 30 minutes away from Teramo. We found a town called Giulianova, and then wound our way down the coast to Pescara which is the major seaside town in the region. Along the way we stopped and looked at the shops and had coffee and wandered the streets of the small towns which were busy with preparations for Christmas.

Giulianova had markets in full swing and it was lovely to amble along the seafront looking at all the goodies! Ron bought a pair of slippers to keep his tootsies warm in our mountain cottage.

Pescara has a wonderful seafront and there were a few restaurants that served fresh seafood. We stopped at one and were delighted by the service and the ambience. The sea bass we ordered was cooked in Sicilian style with olives, capers, garlic and tomato. The waiter served the fish onto our plates at the table. After carefully removing the skin he filleted the fish and served it – just so clever and done with such pizzazz! (and no bones JC)

Everywhere we went people were very welcoming and interested to say hello but after that there was not much happening – we didn’t speak Italian and very few people spoke English. The younger people seem to be learning and grateful for the opportunity to practice but the older people have no interest in speaking, learning or understanding English, and like the French, can be quite put off by having to try. We gave a big effort and we ended up understood most of the time.

I must thank Barbara and John Rogan and their friend Giuseppe for their assistance in finding a doctor and translating for me when I desperately needed some medication for acute neuralgia experienced as part of a viral illness. Also the young people, Lucianno and Giovanna and friends who took me to the hospital when my temperature reached over 40 degrees and I thought I was dying! Giovanna was a nurse at the hospital and was just wonderful during our midnight dash (isn’t it always midnight when you get the sickest!). It is at these times that hospitality is tested to the extreme and these people in Italy were wonderful. The Universe will deliver a great 2008 for them I am sure.

We had a few days of complete rest – I slept 20 hours out of 24 for about 4 days! Ron read books and waited on me as I recuperated from the dreaded lurgy and then it was off to the coast and into the mountains again. We were not going to let the virus ruin too much of our holiday.

We visited Castelli which is a renowned centre for Italian Ceramics. As it was Christmas we thought we would buy a hand painted Nativity set to have as a Christmas memory of our trip. It is a beautiful set with about 15 pieces of 20 cm in height. Every Christmas as we set it up we will remember this lovely white Christmas in Italy. I was really happy to see the prices they were charging in Rome at the Vatican for a similar set – about 10 times what we paid. Doesn’t a bargain give you such a warm happy Christmas glow!

Teramo put on a Christmas Pageant that was just a pleasure to see. I think the young people in the play were music and drama students from the local University. Their voices were fabulous – in a real operatic tradition – and the pageant was colourful and spectacular and very moving.

Our holiday saw us take in the whole province of Abbruzzo – so if you want to know anything about the area just let us know – we are now Abbruzzan exzperts!

Italy - on arrival

We arrived at Leonardo da Vinci Airport (Rome, Fiumicino) to a crisp welcome. The sun was shining but the air was fresh and very cool! We had left behind temperatures close to 30 degrees for 10-15 degrees, so we felt the chill a bit.

Our little Ford Focus was waiting to be picked up and we had our directions to follow to send us on the way to Valle San Giovanni in Abruzzi. Fortunately the owners of our little cottage were able to give directions which meant we did not have to drive through central Rome and we could skirt the city following freeways. We had decided to keep our Rome experience till the end of our holiday and head straight for Villa Casale.

Leaving Rome behind we climbed higher and higher into the Apennine chain of mountains. We were headed for the highest point – the Gran Sasso d’Italia – the Big Rock of Italy, which is the gateway to the region of Abruzzi, a mountain of rock that soars 2,912 metres above sea level. In fact we didn’t have to go over it as there was a 10 klm tunnel dug through the rock and so we actually went under the Gran Sasso, but not before getting some lovely photos of the recently fallen snow. Every turn in the highway was a new postcard picture of houses tumbling down hills, church spirals and fortress walls. All of these covered with a dusting of snow about 2-3 feet deep. With the sunshine glittering off the fall it was just picture perfect.

We travelled past L’Aquila which is the largest town in the area and headed for Teramo, the town closest to our village. On arrival at the village we met Paolo Riccioni the local grocery store owner and he showed us to our lodgings. They were charming – a lovely wood stove to keep us warm, gas central heating and more than enough of all the comforts to keep us happy. My sister, Helen, had arranged for a welcome pack of wine, cheese, prosciutto, sausages, bread and cake and so we were able to settle in to a nice warm meal and a glass of wine on arrival. And then off we went to explore where we were.

Teramo is a small regional centre but it has all you would need including a good sized shopping mall with all the modern conveniences. It is also in the area of the most ancient archaeological sites in Italy and so it is rich with culture and tradition…and no-one speaks English! This proved to be quite a challenge for us but one we enjoyed and seemed to get along well enough. We picked up a few essential phrases and managed to be served what we asked for in the restaurants and shops, even if it did take a little bit of fine negotiation.

Here are some pictures of the trip and also our little cottage in the woods! The one of us in the snow is out of focus – but I think you ‘get the picture’ despite the blur! - the focus must have been frozen!