Custard Apples, Date Milk and Other Adventures in Food

Depending on my mood and the mood of those traveling with me, a trip to the grocery store can be an overwhelming,  "i want to sit down right here in the isle and cry" experience or an exhilarating exotic field trip around the foods of the world.  The choice is entirely up to you.  First off grocery stores don't exist here.  They are called HYPERMARKETS and rightly so.  Hypermarkets truly are grocery stores that are high on life and can't sit still.   There have been moments when i am sure the store is actually running circles around me.  There is SO much to take in.  i promise one of these days i will be of sound clear mind and actually take pictures of all the amazingness that fill the isles.  (Yes, i know "amazingness" isn't a word but it really seems the perfect description.)  The choice for milk alone is ENDLESS;  Date Milk, Chocolate Milk, cold milk, shelf milk, strawberry milk, camel milk.   It is usually around the fruits and vegetable isle that my head starts spinning.   Rows and rows of produce i have never seen or heard of before.  Thankfully i am able to at least recognize the country from which they come.   Sprinkled in between treasures from around the world, i am able to locate Pink Lady apples from France, SunMaid raisins from Selma and bagged carrots from Bakersfield.

Most of the time though i'm not even sure if the odd shape in front of me is a fruit or a vegetable or how i would even attempt to cut it open.  Our intent is always to purchase one exotic foreign item to try each time we go.  The kids always want to sample the largest most prickly produce they can find which i am sure will involve losing copious amounts of blood to actually cut it open.

(not my picture)

Today we tried a soft small Custard Apple from Lebanon and washed it down with some cold Date Milk.

From a distance, this odd looking fruit deceived me into thinking it was an asparagus stripped of it spikes.  But when i noticed it's neighboring produce was all fruits i had to think again.  Custard apple is a perfect description for this fruit.  i had to read online to find out exactly how to eat and prepare it.  Which is simple, cut open and dig out seeds.  It cuts easily and the white flesh inside forms little pockets that house large dark brown seeds.  Once the seeds are dug out, eating it is like biting into really sweet and firm vanilla custard.  It taste pretty much like candy.  Evidence of it's sugary sweetness is that the precursor to this fruit snack was an Oreo cookie.  Any fruit that can follow an Oreo and STILL taste like candy is a hit around here.  i have no idea what the nutritional value of a custard apple is but we figure if it grows on a tree it must be good for you right?!

Can't go wrong with Date Milk.  It is like adding lots of brown sugar to milk.  Who doesn't love that?

Other things we love...

Cocktail Juice

Yes, Digestives are a big favorite around here despite the name.  And better yet they come in CHOCOLATE and Hello Kitty wrapping!

i realized on our first trip to the market all produce must be taken to the weigh station found in the produce section.  Your fruits and veggies must be weighed and stamped before you make your way to the cashier.  That has become the kid's job which involves a final inspection by mama.    Because nobody wants to survive a trip to the HyperMarket only to become a casualty at the check out when you discover the bananas didn't get weighed back in produce.

Lock on the grocery cart.  Kyle likes to find abandoned carts to turn in so he can pocket the 1 dirham.

Another foreign food.... Bacon

My family loves BACON.  Chris & Riley have a favorite saying "Everything is better with bacon."  Now that we live in a Muslim country bacon is not so easy to come by.  There are only a few stores that actually carry it and even then it is hidden away in a secluded restricted section.  It is not commonly found in restaurants.  When my kids spot it on the menu they get SO excited!  We are still working on learning not to shout out, "Woo Hoo!  They have bacon here!"  Saturday brunches usually include plates laden with "non halal" pork.

The treat cart in hotel lobbies are always filled with Arabic coffee, dates and Arabic treats.

"Bird's Nests" and "Camel Eyes"  filled with sweet syrupy goodness. 


(Just think of all the deliciousness we will discover once mama actually starts preparing something other than school lunches!) 

Team Pink

In the States any time i have to fill out a form requiring my information, i always check the little square marked "Female."  That is in fact how i was created.  i happen to like being a girly~girl and all the sparkly goodness that goes with it.  The various facets of my life are viewed through my female lens.  i get to be a mother that feels my babies kick inside of me before they breathed their first breath.  i love my "girlfriends" and the wide range of emotions we are capable of feeling.  When i run, i wear pink.  i like to get all dolled up for a night out and i prefer girly movies to the shoot 'em up variety.  These among many other things characterize me as a woman.  But aside from that, in the US i rarely considered my state of femaleness.  In America we are taught that being a female doesn't define who you are.  We can do whatever we want when we grow up.  We are equal and our sex shouldn't determine our rights.  

Maybe this is why one of the first concerned questions asked of us when people heard we were moving to Dubai was a fearful, "Does that mean Tami has to wear a burqa?"

Translation:  What will it be like to be an American woman living in the female oppressed Middle East?

Let's just set the stage right now and say Dubai is hardly typical of the Middle East.  Honestly, i am currently enjoying living in the "underprivileged" class of Female.  One would think that being a minority (some statistic say Dubai is 70% male) AND female in the Middle East i would feel oppressed.  Quite the opposite actually.  Chris and his clever quips summed it up perfectly one day.

"For being a second class citizen you sure get first class treatment." 

Tru dat!

Second Class Citizen Status: 


1.  My husband has to grant me written permission to obtain a drivers license and to be included on a bank account.

First Class Treatment Options: 

(Available only to those on Team Pink.  Sorry, Dudes!)

1.  If i want i can pass by the long lines of men and head to ladies only line.

2.  i can call a Ladies Only Taxi service with female drives and PINK cabs! 

3.  As a woman i can strike up a conversation with any man or  woman if i so chose.  i can offer a handshake to anyone.  i also have the option to ignore them completely.  Chris not so much.  He should refrain from starting up a conversation with Arab women and only return a handshake, never offer one. 

4.  Last week i had to visit a local clinic for a physical required for my visa.   Instead of choosing the Women's Only Clinic,  i had to wait around with the rest of male population (sigh).  Men were ushered into the required x-ray room 10 at a time.  The handful of women waiting however were invited in one at a time and treated in an unhurried courteous manner. 

    

5. With only a five car metro and 70% of the population supposedly male it's pretty amazing that Pink Team gets an entire car to ourselves.  That is if you want, but trust me you want!  Not because you fear the men, they have all been complete gentlemen.  The mixed cars are just not as amusing.   Simply buy a ticket at a popular destination stop, sit back and be ready to be entertained!  Inevitable, some poor male tourist taken with the sights around him will miss the "Women only sign" and unknowingly step into the lair.  All the women aboard will eye him and each other with a smirk that quietly conveys, "Ha, watch this."  A security guard deftly makes his way to the poor clueless victim man and swiftly moves him to the back of the train.   The embarrassed look on the man's face and the giggling women around him is hilarious.  Totally worth the 5 Dhs spent!  
(If you want to hear Team Blue's perspective talk to Chris.)


6.  Chivalry is not dead!  This has happened to me more than once and it still surprises me.  After trekking to the nearby school taxi stop with my little ones in tow, i see a high school boy 30 feet from us who clearly has been waiting for a taxi for quite awhile.  I prep the kids for a long wait and start dialing my taxi numbers.  When a random cab pulls up, the young man goes out of his way to walk over to us (honestly, he was far enough away that i couldn't quite make out his face) and he GIVES us his cab.  i try to say, "No, no, you were here first.  Go ahead."  But they ALWAYS insist!  The first thing i want to ask is, "WHO is your mother?!"  (Who knew Kyle would get first hand lessons on being a gentleman in the Middle East.)  Now we insist the young gentlemen share the cab with us even if it takes us an additional 15 minutes and extra dirhams to get home.  




i am thankful my rights at home are not based upon my sex but right now i am soaking up all the available opportunities to be treated like a lady.  

  

Land of Nod

Last year around this time we experienced the loss of a loved one.  It was difficult for us all but especially the children.  Weary little heads attempting to rest in cozy beds found the dark and quiet nights difficult.  Often in the evening a sadness would surround them and surrendering to sleep is almost impossible when thoughts of missing grandpa run through little minds.  Those restless nights and a prompting from the Lord, caused us to dream up an imaginary land filled with impossible stories.  Stories that would replace sadness with wildly wonderful adventures where Kyle and Riley are the main characters.  The introduction to the story always begins...

"Once upon a time far far away in the Land of Nod where anything can happen and almost always does, where children never get in trouble because they are always loving and kind, there lived two children, Kyle & Riley." 

 (We don't pay much attention to grammar and run on sentences when mommy has to make it up off the top of her head.) 

The story always proceeds into some unfathomable series of events.  Anything and everything they could imagine happens in Nod.  The only qualifier is that events and characters have to be good, lovely and right.  Everybody knows nothing bad ever enters into the Land of Nod.

(i will be the first to tell you that although Dubai will be an amazing experience for our family it is FAR from the Land of Nod.  There are things here that break my heart and are far from good, lovely and right.)

  But... i have overheard my children saying, "Are we in the Land of Nod or what?!"  And rightly so since there have been several times when they find themselves in the middle of their wild and wonderful stories they thought existed only in Nod.

Because in the Land of Nod Riley has a giant tree where lollipops of all flavors and colors grow.  Little girl climbs that tree and eats however many she wants and NEVER gets a tummy ache.   

(Next chapter i'm thinking she should be able to just pull off treats mommy's dress...)

Candy wardrobe

In the Land of Nod Kyle has every Lego piece ever created and he is capable of building absolutely ANYTHING.

Kyle also has a pet dragon that flies the kids around Nod high above the clouds.

Balcony view of the clouds not to be mistake with a Dragon view...

Although we haven't seen a real dragon, Kyle did love the dragon that lit up the Burj Al Arab one evening in celebration of the Chinese New Year ~ The Year of the Dragon.

In Nod you can slip into the water and swim with mermaids, sharks, and bat rays and always find your way back home.  In the Dubai Mall you can walk through an aquarium tunnel and watch as the fish swim all around you.

If we want sugary white sand perfect for sand castles we do actually have to go the beach and not the mall.

Although some parts of the Land of Nod seem to have come to life right before our very eyes the imagination is never ending and we are always discovering new stories to add to our tales.

You never know what sort of animals you might find in the most unexpected places.  Bunnies hippity hopping around hotel grounds for children to chase.

Falcons perched for you to pet while waiting for dinner.

Finding REAL camel rides in the play ground. 

(Mommies in the Land of Nod don't have to travel by taxi everywhere.  Therefore they ALWAYS have enough cash for camel rides.)  

Pink haired mannequins coming alive when you least expect it.

Play Station in the Doctor's office. 

 Only picture i was able to snag on our follow up appointment. (Read the whole story here.)  i just couldn't bring myself to whipping out the camera while people are feeling lousy in the waiting room.  

Confession... all self restraint almost flew out the window when a server walked by with a tray of cappuccinos!!  i knew they served them there just not that they will actually bring it to you.  Do you KNOW how badly i wanted a picture of that from the doctors office!?  You will just have to trust me.  

Back to the Land of Nod...

  As for children never getting in trouble, that part we have yet to discover.  BUT this handy dandy room key holder has certainly eliminated some parent/child strife.

   

You are hurrying everyone out the door, already late.  As the last kiddo rushes past you and is half way to the elevator you glance around the apartment (as small as it may be) and notice EVERY light and lamp was left on.  It would take forever to run through and turn off all the switches and dials.  Being the very Eco conscious person you are you know you can't leave all the lights and air on in each room.  What's a mama to you do?  Yell at the the Littles to come back and turn off all the lights?  Nope, around here you calmly take your little room key out of its cute little holder and CLICK!  all the power in the apartment is off!!  Magic i tell you, 

 Land of Nod magic! 

Our week in review

This week has been crammed full with BIG firsts for us.  Ok yes, the last 19 days have been filled with nothing but inaugural events.  Simply walking out the door can be an adventure for us; Ry encounters her first Arabic bathroom, i fumble around 10 minutes to dial a phone number, and STILL trying to learn what price tags really are charging me.  (The US dollar is equal to 3.67 dirhams and THAT is not an easy estimate to do in your  my head)

This week was big though because the Littles went from getting away with studying in pajamas to sporting new school uniforms.

It was their first week in school in Dubai.  They were welcomed like celebrities.  The school staff insisted the student body will just swallow our kids up and make them feel at home and it was so true.  The first day of school before Kyle and Riley even made it into their designated classroom, kids were waving to them in the hall saying hi to them by name.  Kyle was working on scheduling a play date with his new friend from Denmark the afternoon i picked him up.  By Wednesday (which is really our Thursday) the kids were worn out from such long days at school.  8-3 school day is a big change from our home school routine.  A few tears were shed towards the end of the week by Miss Riley Roo but she pulled it together and did great.  Their schedule includes art, PE, Music and Arabic in addition to all the regular curriculum.  Kyle can already write his name in Arabic and has been teaching us some of the letters he has learned as he sees on the signs around town.

The biggest complaint about school is our ride home.  Taxi is our current mode of transportation most of the time.  After hanging out on the playground with new friends we have found that 3:45 can be a VERY bad time to catch a cab.  Cab drivers are just ending their 12 hours shift and many of them are trying to make prayer time.  Being "the glass is always half full" sort of mom, i decide to make a game of it.  "Let's count and see how many full cabs drive by before we catch an empty one."  After 2 phone calls to the cab company and 112 full cabs later the kids decide it's a stupid game.  Our best time is snagging the second cab that drives by.  WHOO HOO!  We all do a victory taxi dance when we keep it under 10. 

 Now my cell phone is filled men's first names i can't pronounce with last name "taxi."  When i ring one of those wonderful magic numbers, a man on the other end insists he knows who i am and makes every effort to come get me within the next 30 minutes.  

As you can see we needed something a little stronger than just Digestives and milk to celebrate our first full week of school.  (Digestives are a super yummy treat.  Especially the chocolate ones!!) 

We were greeted by our friends downstairs with a "Congratulations" and chocolate ice cream cones!

Kyle has suddenly become Mr. Social.  He now calls soccer football and will play with any child he find regardless of what language they speak.  Football is after all an international language all its own.   

Lest any of you feel sorry for this poor Mama who is left all alone at home while her kids are at school.  Don't worry, Mama knows how to venture out into new places!

i know, sort of like a where's Waldo?

The second day of school, i joined in with a group of moms from our school to travel an hour from Dubai to Abu Dhabi (the capital of UAE) to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.  (See it here.)  It is the largest mosque in the UAE and one of the few open to tourists.

  In order to enter the mosque area all women are required to wear an abaya and a head scarf.  There is a separate room with freshly washed articles should you not have any with you.  (For those of you curious, this is the only time i am required to wear an abaya and head scarf in the UAE.)  Woman are not allowed within the mosque area without the appropriate dress.  You are also NOT allowed to have your photo taken in front of the mosque if you are without an abaya and head covering.  Should you be spotted doing so a security person will kindly assist you in locating the picture on your camera and helping you delete it. 

The tour is very informative regarding the ornate details of the mosque, Islam and the culture of the people of UAE.   It was a rare opportunity to ask any question you may have.

  

Women's foot washing area.

World's second largest chandelier.  Egypt just past this up 3 months ago.

Prayer times

 Only men are required to come to the mosque to pray while women are allowed to pray at home.  This mosque is ornately decorated with flowers running throughout. 

Can you find the line used to line up for prayer?

This really was an amazing opportunity to get a better understanding of the culture i am living in.

Plus, the bonus of meeting new friends. 

(Side note... it is REALLY hard to make new friends on the ride over and then try to find them again in the sea of black abayas.)

Some of you asked about this picture.  It was a really just a serendipitous shot.  It's a bunch of women in awe of their reflection in a glass elevator.  It's the first and only time we get to see ourselves in our newly donned abayas.  The flowers on the ceiling make it look surreal.  

 
End of the tour ~ abaya drop off.


Between lunches with other women new to Dubai, waiting for taxi cabs and mommy field trips we also got the keys to our VILLA a.k.a. our real home while here in Dubai.

The bonus was that our air shipment showed up too!  That means more clothes and toys for us but still no furniture.  For now we are working on getting the villa move in ready. 

Dude managed to score the best balcony!

Delicious dates, our first house warming gift.

Appliance shopping

The first golf ball in our pool. 

Contemplating making a counting game out of this...

First Hopscotch game at our house villa. 

 i'm thinking this may be the longest one EVER!

And finally, the biggest first of the week.... this mama drove!!  TWICE!  It may not have been very far but it is my greatest accomplishment this journey to date.  If my hands weren't white knuckling the steering wheel, i might have pictures for you.  But no such luck.  The only one allowed to talk in the car while either of us is behind the wheel is our British GPS chap.  He ever so kindly and calmly tells you when to enter and exit the roundabouts.  i guess his voice is suppose to soothe your nerves from the blaring horns around you.  Now, if only he could tell me where the exit is really heading before i take it.

Just to assure you i am not exaggerating here are random quotes from the kids.

 "Mom, i know why we couldn't bring our Tahoe to Dubai... the horn isn't loud enough."  ~ Riley

"Dad, let's just take a cab, i don't feel like hearing you yell at the roads tonight."  ~ Kyle  

Happy Weekend!   

NIGHT & DAY

TODAY our family dined at one of Dubai's many famous Saturday Buffets. 

For. three. hours.

How is this possible you ask?

With video games, art tables filled with supplies, Tom & Jerry cartoons

and bouncy houses

time disappeared before our very eyes.

Completely carefree

and indulgent.

But now the frivolity has dissipated as my heart feels heavy and my eyes are brimming with tears.

Because TONIGHT i spoke with Fersa the young dark haired chef that greets us every morning with a smile.  In the morning while he checks on the buffet food, he always seems so cheerful and genuinely happy to see us as he inquires how we are.  Breakfast time is busy and there is little opportunity to get to know the man under the towering chef hat.  But tonight the restaurant is quiet and empty.   Two indulgent waiters slip my Littles hot chocolate and candy which busies them while i listen to Fersa.  He tells me about chef training in Syria, working with a famous American chef and his dream of opening his own restaurant someday.  i notice for the first time the silver ring on his left hand and i ask if he is married.  He has a wife in Syria and a daughter that will be one in 5 days.  When i ask for a picture he waists no time pulling out his phone to shows me Bana, a beautiful baby with large brown eyes and the most kissable chubby cheeks. "You must Skype them often?" i ask.

"Oh everyday, for i am scared for them.  All of Syria is very dangerous right now.  They have little electricity and they cannot leave the house at night it is too dangerous.  They stay with my parents."  It is the first time i see his face darken as his eyes become rimmed with red.  i ask him when he gets to see them again, as all staff are provided trips home.  He says he is afraid to go home for fear they will accuse him at the airport for being on the wrong of the political argument and become jailed.  

NIGHT & DAY

Political turmoil has been around since the beginning of time.  Daily news testifies to this.  i confess that while living in the states i glossed over the token half page that spoke of war in far away places.  Today i read the headlines intently and pray for real people who are striving to simply survive. 

A lesson in gratitude was granted to us today.

  

As citizens of the United States, can we truly appreciate our freedoms when we have never been robbed of them?   

I have no pictures to post of Fersa and his family but the cell phone screen of his daughter is the one picture from today that has etched itself in my mind.  Tonight as i tucked my kids in bed we prayed for the safety of little Bana & her mommy, for Fersa working to provide for his family from so far away and for the many reasons we have to be thankful.