Bull Fight in Madrid

We were fortunate enough to go to a bull fight with our Spanish friend Jose and his lovely wife. They explained the history and strategy of bullfighting in Spain. Although at times it was very difficult to watch, it was an interesting cultural experience.

Tour de France adventure

We were pleasantly surprised to learn that our trip coincided with the Tour de France, so we made a point to stop and see the show. Here we are in Peripignon, France. We waited for three hours for 30 seconds of action!

Road tripping through southern France

Lovely fields of lavender and quaint villages...lots of delicious food and sights to see. We really enjoyed our travels.

Wedding Weekend in France

We spent a lovely weekend in Provence, France for Tina and Pat's wedding. It was in a beautiful village. A lovely weekend for a lovely couple!

Abu Dhabi Delight

We really enjoyed Abu Dhabi. At moments we felt like we were in San Diego, California because of its proximity to nice beaches, its beautiful landscaping and trees, and its relaxing atmosphere.

We had the opportunity to see the Royal Presidential Palace and it was absolutely beautiful inside. It held a prominent position in the city on top of a hill commanding the views from nearby bays.



An impressive and massive (compare to the cars in the photo) portrait of the ruling Sheikh of the UAE.

The beaches were very enjoyable with their turquoise colored water. Lots of salt content to keep you afloat effortlessly. Together with some good reading and a massage for Meg it was a nice getaway trip.

Toastmasters

Toastmasters -a fun group to hang out with in Fujairah. Meg and I at the 100th meeting gala dinner. Our group in part of the 79 district that includes all the Middle East clubs. I got to meet many of them at a conference in Abu Dhabi.

At our table are our friends from Singapore and Pakistan.

A group photo: Members are from India, Pakistan, Somalia, Bangladesh, Columbia as well as some locals.

Family Fishing

An Emirati family enjoying their Saturday afternoon picnicking and fishing in Khor Kalba. On weekends many locals like to drive out to their favorite picnic spots and relax until the wee hours of the night.

Weekends are Friday and Saturday to allow everyone to attend mosque services on Friday. Many businesses shut down between 11:30-2pm during the services on Friday.

Nature's Beauty: Where Desert Sand Meets the Ocean's Sand

Spent more time at the Beach. The photos show a snail caught in the act of making a golden section. The mangrove swamp at low tide with a native turtle population. A fisherman's 4x4. Supposedly this was the truck that conquered the Arabian desert and was instrumental in the discovery of oil and later development. Many of the fisherman use them to haul their nets out of the sea. And 3 folks leaving their inhibitions with their shoes.

Playing Soccer (excuse me, I mean football)

Once a week the local expats representing New Zealand, UK, Canada, Morocco, Ethiopia, Australia, South Africa and the US get together for a little indoor soccer. We play 6 on 6, 8 minute power games over 2 hours. It's pretty intense and a lot of fun. I'm on the red team and so far we are undefeated at 7 wins and 5 draws.

The picture on the bottom is me with Ali, the league's top goal scorer (12 in 12 games. I have 2 goals) He's wearing a Manchester United jersey and I have a David Beckam AC Milan jersey. Chelsey and Barcelona are also very popular.

Dubai Rising

We visited Dubai two weeks ago and finally got a good look at the city. It's an amazing place in that it seems to appear that over 65% of the tall buildings are still under construction. There's so much development that driving is always adventurous to drivers who say that sporadic street openings, closures and detours are very common.

Here is a photo of the tallest building in the world under construction. How would you like to be the crane operator of this one. If you notice the base of the crane, it doesn't dare to touch the ground and instead rests on a small perch.

Fujairah 50 years ago

Not too long ago before the UAE's oil wealth was discovered, the country's homes here in Fujairah were built from indigenous materials and simpler construction techniques. The photos show a house built of local rock and a mud like stucco, which has plenty of shells in it, common in the dirt here. Palm frawns were used in the roofing. With the new wealth these homes were abandoned for newer, larger and more modernized homes.

Beach time in Khor Fakkan near Fujairah

30 minutes up the coast is a beautiful stretch of beach called Khor Fakkan. Several beach resorts have sprouted up here and it's a nice place to enjoy the sun and surf. Supposedly, there's also good scuba diving here too.

On this day we drove up for brunch with our friend Patricia.

More Fujairah Shots

Shot of Meg's school. It's a nice, secure campus of a few buildings. It's very open and has all the amenities for a positive learning enviroment.

The food here is delicious. This is from a Lebanese restaurant. One of many here. Makes you want to visit Lebanon.

A view of Fujairah. The building with the "golf ball" is the telephone company. I suspect there is radar/satellite equipment in the ball. None the less, it's a landmark here. The city is layed out with main boulevards that intersect at traffic circles and ovals. Due to the numerous traffic circles, I've only counted 3 stoplights so far in this city of 140000 people.

Universal Signage

Signs for the restrooms. You can't help but love them.

Our New Home - Fujairah, UAE

Meg's new workplace and the other new hires - plus a few staff. Here are some images from Fujairah, our new home.