No that’s not a typo. And it’s not a subtle way of not swearing. I really mean a shift-free zone. For those of you that don’t live in Dubai you may wonder what the hell? Well for the uninitiated, shifting = moving (as in house). And happily this year, for the first time in 3 years, we are NOT SHIFTING. Woooohoooo. Yes it is exciting, not least of all because the average daytime temp is about 45 degrees Celsius right now. And that makes moving anything extremely un-fun, well unless it’s moving your body into a nicely chilled swimming pool that is. That’s about the only moving that I could bear to imagine. Also as we have moved 4 times in 3 years, I think we have earned a year off, at least.
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Blog
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a shift-free zone
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well done Maha!
In writing this blog for the last almost-3 years I have tried to convey a little of what it’s like to live in the UAE, share with you some of the more interesting or offbeat stories and generally give you an unbiased viewpoint on my life in the desert. Where-ever possible I have stayed away from political or religious judgments, comments or opinions, as it has never been my intention to offend or upset anyone. However there is a small and interesting rebellion going on in Saudi Arabia at the moment that I feel I must share with you – in case it’s not made the news anywhere else – and furthermore give my support to. And this is not because it’s a religious or political thing, but rather a way of showing my solidarity with these women who are making a point about what isn’t working for them.
[traditionally passengers only]
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“green” the new gold?
There are some encouraging signs that things are changing in the Middle East. And no I’m not referring to the Arab Spring movement or anything political. No the thing that is encouraging for me is that environmental issues are slowly becoming mainstream and being talked about in the newspapers; all kinds of people here are taking steps themselves to have less impact on the planet.
Stu and I do our small part; we recycle as much as we can, sadly there is no collection at the house and we have to take the recycling to a depot but that’s ok. The food scraps we turn into compost with our Bokashi, a great way to improve the poor desert sand in the garden. Other than that we turn off air-cons in rooms we aren’t using, turn off the water heaters, use LED globes in the lamps and turn lights and appliances off when not needed. We are also about to switch over to a chemical free cleaning product called Enjo, which cleans with water and fibres only. Apart from having a positive effect on our carbon footprint (which is the biggest in the world here in the UAE apparently) these changes have also had a positive effect on our utility bill each month. As the cost of water and electricity climbs all over the world this may be the thing that gets people motivated – the dollars and cents. Of course it’s great that we all do our bit at home, but in my opinion it’s not enough. The bigger consumers – the shopping malls, office blocks and other industries – must also start being mindful of their consumption. Small signs of this are starting to be seen and it’s very encouraging to me.
[Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre*]
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rare visitors
For the twitchers: two bird species never before documented in the Arabian Peninsula have been seen in the UAE in the past fortnight.
[Franklin Gull / Source: The National]
A Cory’s Shearwater was spotted by birdwatchers on May 12 – the first sighting in the Middle East. The bird was found while the group were taking part in a boat trip off Kalba, the east coast enclave of Sharjah near the Oman border.
Last week, a Franklin’s Gull turned up at Fujairah Port Beach. The gull appeared on May 17 and remained at the beach over the weekend, to the delight of dozens of bird enthusiasts who turned out to see it.
Sightings of species new to the region are extremely rare – the last one happened in December 2008 when a Red-flanked Bluetail was seen at Safa Park in Dubai.The Franklin Gull normally breeds in the Northern US and Canada, whilst the Cory’s Shearwater in the Mediterranean.
More info on birding in the UAE can be found at Tommy Pedersen’s website on the subject.
Picture and quote from The National -
it’s the small things
When you move to a new country there are a lot of things you have to adjust to. In some cases it’s a completely different climate (check), or being far away from friends or family. Sometimes you have to learn a new language or moderate your lifestyle. But what-ever the change required you one day wake up and realise that you have done it, you’ve made the adjustment and you are more-or-less settled in your new “home” away from home.
I truly believe that tools like Facebook and Skype help to keep me connected to the people I left behind. Watching my friends marry, go on vacation or seeing their kids grow up all via their photo album feeds may not be ideal but at least I stay in touch. And that helps a lot.
[three years of cat tags]
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