Ramadan Begins

Today has been an odd feeling kind of day. I'm having to get used to being a 'stay at home' mum again. I know; those of you who work think I'm nuts. I do enjoy not having to go into work every day, but for some reason I keep feeling like there's something I'm supposed to be doing but that I'm forgetting.

I took the munchkins out for ice cream today after school. The local shopping mall was packed to the gills. For those of you familiar with 'Fat Tuesday', today feels kind of like that.

One thing I did accomplish today is I have RSVP'd for women's association/society kind of meeting/gather. I'm excited. I'm hoping to meet some people and maybe find some good volunteer opportunities.

Now for a bit of explanation. Tomorrow is the first full day of Ramadan. For those of my readers who may not know about Ramadan, here is a brief intro that I am borrowing from my munchkins' Arabic teachers (thank you ladies!):

"Ramadan the Muslim holy month, takes place during the ninth month of the
Muslim calendar...Ramadan marks the day [that Muslims believe that] the
Koran was sent down from Heaven via the angel Gabriel to Prophet
Muhammad. To allow for complete devotion to their faith, Muslims
must abide by stringent rules from dawn until sunset for the entire
month. Eating, drinking, smoking, and sex are strictly forbidden during
daylight. In addition, Muslims must show greater sympathy for the
needy and poor. Fasting plays a key role in accomplishing these goals
by allowing for greater concentration on the spiritual, generating empathy
for the hungry and cleansing the body of overindulgence."

Have a peace filled day.

Alligator Gar

http://www.balikavi.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14370 (scroll down this linked page a bit)

http://www.whozoo.org/Anlife99/paulstov/alligatorgarindex2.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_gar

My aunt was asking me about these fascinating ancient fish. I have never seen one in the wild, but I have seen them at zoos/aquariums.

Happy fishy thoughts Aunt S!

Tank Tales

So far, we have been unable to catch any fish. But, we have some lovely invertebrate biodiversity going on (ie got loads of critters without back bones).

In addition to Gomer the crab, we have several small hermit crabs, about 10 gastropods (live sea shell snail critters), a local variety of tube worm/feather duster worm (kinda like serpulid worms - not sure of the spelling there), and somethings we don't know what they are yet.

Last night, Munchkin #2 proclaimed there were jelly fish in the tank. Well, Mum had to have a look. Sure enough, there were what appeared to be medusoid zooids zipping around in the tank. So....I believe that we have some little critters that belong to Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterata), but what are they - hydra, jellyfish, coral or anemone?

http://njscuba.net/biology/sw_jellies.html This website has an excellent diagram showing you a 'basic' life cycle. Our medusoids are only a couple of millimeters across. We also have some smears on the side of the tank that appear to be egg casings. Personally, I hope they are anemones. But, we'll see.

I went into the 'big city' today to pick up some 'invert food.' I need to make sure I don't overload the tank, but I thought I'd add whatever help I could in case we end up with hungry filter feeders.

Peace.

Catfish Noodling?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOxt6r7HSNg
(There are some nasty words in the comments that go along with this video on YouTube. Sorry, I just want to link to the video, but the comments on YouTube come along as well.)

Ok. I love fish. I love to go fishing. But this.....this is one of the dumbest/strangest things I have seen in quite some time.

Evidently, this is a legal way to fish in parts of the United States. But, thinking about the risk of infection, I can't believe anyone would want to try this.

I have been swimming with catfish this size in the States (in fairly clear river water mind you). They are awesome to see. But, knowing that catfish eat pretty much anything (ie they are natural garbage disposals), why would anyone want to eat one this big? I'd think they'd be so loaded with parasites, and nastiness in their muscles that one would want to avoid ingesting one this size.

Which brings me to our current pet crab, Gomer (pronounced with a long O sound). Munchkin #1 noticed that Gomer was methodically walking around the bottom of the tank 'sucking' whatever he could get off the aquarium gravel. Munchkin #1 asked me, "Mom, what's he doing?" I replied, "He's eating whatever is stuck to that rock." He continued, "Ok. So what's on that rock?" Again, I responded the only way I knew how...with the truth, "He's eating whatever algae, bacteria, detritus (fish/crab poop) is stuck to it." Needless to say, I received a loud "EEEWWWW! And, Mom is that why you don't eat crabs?"

Yup, aquatic garbage disposals. And people think cockroaches are nasty.

Happy eating.

The Fish Trap

This is the fish trap the husband built. But, the first time we put it out - nada (Much to the disappointment of Munchkin #2 here). Again, I don't eat ANY seafood, so I have no issues doing the trap! And, we don't kill anything (if we do catch it). The husband is considering a re-design. We'll see what he does; I'll keep you informed. I just wish I had a cast net.

I inquired at a local place about a 'net I could throw,' and folks thought I was nuts. Not because I'm interested in fish but because I think it is unusual here to have a woman interested in fish.

We have friends coming over this afternoon to swim. I always enjoy visiting with people.

May your day be relaxed and happy.

Peace.

Just a few more days and school begins

We're hanging out at home again this morning. I need to run up to the school to run an errand, and then we're off to the grocery store for supplies for school lunches. As you can well imagine, the munchkins are not terribly excited about school starting. But, with Ramadan around the corner, the school day will be shortened which should make things a bit easier.

The video posted today is of 'Gomer' (with a long O sound) our crab. He just molted, so he's quite a bit bigger than when we first got him. He's the same species I made a post about over a year ago. I don't eat ANY seafood, so I have no issues keeping seafood as pets! The 'commentary' is courtesy of Munchkin #1. You may need to turn your volume up a bit in order to hear the commentary.

We went to the hardware store last night to buy silicone caulk for the kids' bathroom and ended up buying two new plants for the living room - much to the delight of the munchkins. The kids really seem to enjoy our plants.

Two of Munchkin #2's friends are back in town, but we've not been able to reach any of Munchkin #1's buddies. It's amazing to me how people wait until the very last minute to come back into the country after summer holiday. It makes for some very jet lagged students at the kids' school!

Now, on to three topics near and dear to my heart: religion, science and education. Regardless of how folks in the States feel about evolution, students are being handicapped if they are not taught how to understand it. If a student wishes to become a doctor, if they don't understand evolution then they will be greatly impaired in their biology classes (just one example folks). Read on.... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/education/24evolution.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Peace.

Fish are Friends!!!!!

Ok. I feel that fish are friends. I don't like to eat them. Read on......
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/science/22fish.html?exprod=myyahoo

Peace.

I found another angel (Pomacanthidae?) type fish!

I found this snap digging through my Oman pics. I had to 'blow it up' a good bit, so it came out kinda grainy. But, hopefully you can see the striking blue color this guy had. I think it's a yellow bar angel fish (Pomacanthus maculosus). In addition, the coral this guy is trying to hide under I think is a table coral (Acropora?).

I've been catching up on my friends' blogs this morning. I love to read about what folks are thinking about and doing back in the home country. It helps me to feel connected.

Today's weather forecast is for 'mainly sunny.' Love it. It sure beats seeing a forecast of 'heavy dust'!

I finally found a tide table/schedule on-line for this region (that's in English!). The best time to see fish snorkeling here is at low-tide. Why, I'm not sure. But that is always when we see the best/most stuff.

Quick weather bit, again

Forecast for today:
High of 102F
Low of 90F
Actual current temp: 108F

Kicking back waiting for school to begin

This pic is from a trip we took into Abu Dhabi. I snapped this pic sitting in the backseat of the husband's car. I have no idea what buildings these are; I just thought it was pretty with the blue water. To me, Abu Dhabi felt like a more conservative place than it's neighbor, Dubai. Because we were in Abu Dhabi to visit a mosque there, I wore an abaya per mosque rules. I then continued to wear it when we went out for lunch. In Dubai a westerner wearing an abaya might attract some attention, but in Abu Dhabi it brought some smiles from some local ladies but that's all.

As I was reading news this morning, I came across an opinion piece that is kinda interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/opinion/20gorbachev.html?em&exprod=myyahoo Of course, one must take into consideration the author of this piece, but it does raise some interesting questions.

Today is going to be a day of laziness yet again. I'm sure we'll find our way out for a swim and some sun. The husband returns from Norway tomorrow (yippee!). We're all ready to have him home.

(Addition to this post: http://abcnews.go.com/International/WireStory?id=5623657&page=2 Wow. I just hope my friends who are currently in Russia don't have any difficulties there.)

News on fruit juice

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/new-reasons-to-avoid-mixing-juice-and-medicine/

Please read this! I know I have family members and friends (ie readers) who take various meds. I also know that many of you drink/eat grapefruit and grapefruit seed extract.

Need to head out for good snorkeling again

I'm running low on 'good' fish pics. I need to head for some seriously fishy clear water to get more! The fish in this pic are parrots, an Arabian butterfly, and the one in the middle I think is a sheri (that's the 'local' name for it). There are some lovely corals in this pic as well, but I'm not very good at identifying them (I barely survived my invertebrate zoology class at university. I was too busy trying to just pass the thing to really learn much of the stuff I really needed to know to become a marine biologist!). I think I can count about 5 species of coral in this pic.

I see on each trip through the fish markets some formerly beautiful now dead 'fancy fish' (butterflies, angels etc.....). I can't believe that any one buys them when there are other 'tastier' seeming fish around. I think the local fishermen accidentally catch these beauties in their traps so they are sold as food. The traps look something like igloos but made from wire. Traditionally, I believe they were woven from palm leaves. The husband has devised a small one from a plastic trash can, a take-way/carry out container, and some cable ties. We're hoping to catch some smallish non-edible, non-coral reef type fish. Ah the things ex-pats do for entertainment! It's going to be interesting to see if we can catch anything. Courtesy of my brother-in-law's suggestion, we're going to use coconut as bait in the 'trap.' (Disclaimer: no fish will be harmed in this bizarre form of entertainment!)

Not much on the agenda for today. Munchkin #2 had a massive allergy attack this morning and is now out cold but comfortable after some medicine. She's cuddled in on the sofa. Munchkin #1 is in dire need of a haircut, so we may try to get him to the barber later today. I'd like to cruise through one of my fave 'ex-pat catering' markets to restock my frozen foods. Frozen bean and cheese burritos are a busy-day staple in our house. Also, I have a rather large gift certificate in my purse presented to me last June for a book/music/DVD kinda store. I'd like to use it, so I no longer have to worry about losing it in the bottomless pit I call my purse!

And, a special "Peace" goes out to all my buddies currently concerned over politics in their home countries. My thoughts are with you!

What to do today?

Well, as I sit here at my desk this morning, I ask myself, "What to do today?" I have small errand to run, but I can't do that until later this week. The husband doesn't get back until Friday. I'm hoping to have a day out with some girlfriends, but if that happens it won't happen until Saturday. Maybe I can talk my kids into going for a swim! The house is clean, there's food in the fridge (enough leftovers for dinner tonight), and many of our friends are not yet back in this country.

Found an article this morning some of you (my readers in the west) might be interested in:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080819/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_nuclear_security_6

On to happier things: the snap above is a shot of one of my 'happy places.' Looks like a nice place, huh?

Peace.

Hanging out but lots going on

Well, the current temp here is 108F, and the husband is currently in Norway (lucky guy!). We got to spend a few days together, and now he's off for a few days of work in the glorious beautiful north! I shouldn't complain; I got 8 weeks in the home country. But, I dearly want to go back to Norway for further hiking and exploration.

I spent the day cleaning house and working (sorta) on my computer. Munchkin #2 currently has a friend from school over to play, and Munchkin #1 is rotting his brain in front of the DVD Cats and Dogs (a very cute/funny movie).

While here on my computer today (am I rotting my brain?), I've been doing some serious news reading. Here's what I've come across:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080818/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_24

http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10237923.html

http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10237918.html

http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10237653.html

http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Markets/10238149.html

This last article (an opinion piece) is the one I found to be the most interesting. For me, it brings to light a few points I had not previously noted in the press. If you read any of these articles, read this one:

http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/region/10237965.html

And now...for something completely different......Science/Marine kinda stuff:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/washington/17pelosi.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15oceans.html?ref=science

Ok. I think I've given you enough newsy reading suggestions for now!

The video I posted today is the husband and my padre taking down a tree on the tree farm. It was in danger of smashing down on top of one of our storage buildings. When the thing was cut, it wouldn't fall down - kept hanging on to other trees. So, thanks to a 'come along,' it finally came along and went down missing the building roof by mere inches. Good job guys! I then helped a bit to cut the thing up for fire wood.

Peace be upon you.

YouTube video on housing in Dubai

I've been sitting around wasting time today (I sat down to practice my Arabic, but I got side tracked). I stumbled across this video, and I thought some of you might be interesting in viewing it and reading the comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ew7pou6v9k

If the link doesn't work, the video is titled "Cohabitation: Low income housing for Dubai" found on www.youtube.com.

Feel free to email me if you wish to discuss the video.

Quick weather bit

Published forecast for today:
High of 103, low of 91. Current actual temp: 111

Why?

Getting over the jet lag

Well, I'm back. I had to post this snap of the family tree farm. Yup, I miss the smell and sound of trees already. I took this shot as a big thunderstorm was beginning to roll in.

I was reading some newspapers online today and ran across this article:
http://www.gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi_arabia/10236558.html
Very interesting stuff.

While the kids and I were in the home country, the husband bought a Wii game system when he got back here to the sand. And boy, have the kids had fun with the thing. We've got rules with it (Mum reserves the right to sell the thing if it becomes too distracting to daily life), and the rules seem to manage to control potential problems. The husband just said it is humbling to have his young daughter continually beat him at boxing on the Wii.

A bit of bummer news on our aquarium: the crab with no claws that we 'rescued' had a molt while we were in the home country. The husband came home to find him with two new little claws. But, within the past few days, it looked like he (the crab that is) was going to molt again. The little crab quit moving and never moved again. We're not sure what happened. At least we gave the little guy a fighting chance.

It is good to be home and all together again as a family.

I'm back for another year (or more!?)

Hi all! I'm back in the desert. And, man, is it hazy dusty out. The forecast is for 'sunny' but I think 'heavy dust' would be more appropriate.

Daisy rat was healthy and happy. The husband had our home here totally clean (even clean sheets and towels) and had a bottle of my FAVE perfume waiting for me. It's a local stuff when translated from Arabic means 'Red.' I go to the Oud all the time to 'test/sample' it, but never bought is 'cause it is kinda pricey. Talk about a lovely surprise! And, he had the windows tinted on my vehicle of choice AND installed a small fan in the the backseat of it to help keep the munchkins cooler. Now, even in the really hot part of the day, the vehicle stays nice and cool. Sweet.....

Stories and pictures will be posted as our adventures continue.......