Finally posted, and just in time for my next trip

I finally finished posting about my entire time in Dubai with my family. 

This henna post seemed to post out of place and I have no idea why.

Just thought I would share if you were curious about that at all.

 I also added a new page with the entire trip, interruption free, from start to finish. 

I also put my Ireland page back up, what I have typed of it that is. 

Wow I am so bad about finishing things. 

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog. 

Be sure to drop me a line and tell me what you think.

I leave in 4 days for Ecuador and I'm sure will have a ridiculous amount of stories to share once I am home.

hehehe Mini-me!!!!

Dubai-last two days

My sister finally did arrive at the house. The next two days were so full that it is almost a blur looking back now.

I must have drank less water the last few days because I was so tired and sick.

Once my sister arrived we all squeezed her, chatted a bit, gave her a house tour, then she and I went up to our room to chat until going to bed.

THe next morning we got up early to head to the Orthodontist so I could pick up my retainer.

I have never had a removable retainer before so I walked out of the dental office talking with a lisp and fighting back an unbelievable amount of drool.

                                                                      DURRR....

We immediately walked to the Caribou coffee next store and sat around drinking coffee and eating little goodies.

After out coffee break we went to the Medinat Souk in Jumeriah.

I had been by there a number of times and had become pretty curious about it.

It was like Karama but indoors and a bit more pricey because of it's strong tourist location.

It was a really neat place though.

I just could not get enough of the architecture everywhere in Dubai. SO wonderful.

We wandered through the shops touching all of the different fabrics and admiring all the pretty things. I could hardly contain myself at times at the sight of all the beautiful saturated colors.

Mom and Dad were pretty worn out by then and wanted to go home and nap. Silly.

I believe this was the day that I had a really unconventiional lunch and loved every second of it.

I grabbed some Egyptian bread out of the fridge and there was a wide variety of cheese at the house, so I had a little bread and cheese tasting by myself.

It was wonderful. There were al sorts of cheeses that I had never tasted before. I LOVE CHEESE!!

That night we were planning to eat outside of the Dubai mall and watch the fountain show that goes on right between the restaurants and the Burj Kalifa.

We found a nice place with Sandwiches, soups and salads.

I can't believe it took me until the last night there to order a Mocktail. (They do not drink Alcohol in Dubai, which is brilliant. Especially considering how crazy the driving is already. :p)

The fountain show was beautiful. They happened about every 20 minutes or so.

We watched many of them.

After eating we walked through a souk that was just next door to us and saw what it had to offer. Again it was an indoor one and sold the same things that every shop sold. Just like everything there though, there are different feels to the different places you go. The architecture, and people within, the time of day, all play a role in the feel of a place. The smells are also something else. Everything has a really enticing sandy yet perfumed smell. It was wonderful and a kind of exotic and mysterious scent.

( I identify with scents, thus I couldn't help mentioning it.)

Julia and I went and sat outside on the large steps leading to the souk and just relaxed, talked, people watched, beautiful men watched (hehehe ;) and waited for the next fountain show to start. we watched at least two shows from that very spot. It was really nice. There is just something special about the relationships between sisters.

 After the fountain shows and dinner we went home and tried to make it to the pool before it closed. We barely missed it. The guard was walking to the pool just 30 steps ahead of us to close it.

So back to the villa we walked.

I can't remember the rest of the night but I bet it was low key.

The next morning we were up early to go up in the Burj Kalifa.

We had boght our tickets the night before. We got a bit turned around on the way there and were a bit worried that we would be late, but all worked out just fine.

We walked through hallways containing information on the planning and building of the building, then we were squeezed into and elevator that took us up a bit over half way. (You cannot go to the top which is crazy to me.).

There was an observation deck outside as well as windows all around that afforded a view of all Dubai from everyside of the Kalifa.

I'm  giant....ARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!

We walked through alot of the Dubai mall on a quest for Camels milk chocolate. The mall is quite an experience. It is HUGE and has random things all over.

There is a skating rink inside, a giant waterfall with sculpted divers in it, and a huge area of feather butterflies suspended from the ceiling.

We had an interesting time finding our way back to our car in the giant parking garage.

Julia and I were dropped off at the Batutta mall after.

I wanted to go back and look at the beautiful colors and what not in the mall and I wanted to make sure Julia saw it.

We also stocked up on a ridiculous amount of henna.

We walked through the mall and took in all of it. The wonderful colors, smells, architecture...all of it!!!

The funniest thing though was the music they played in the stores. They played songs from the states about drinking and well everything that the mainstream songs talk about. It was just weird because they aren't allowed to drink there, but they have all these songs playing about getting drunk. They also do an odd job about editing it. They edit out the word "sex" from songs but will leave the F bomb in a song.

interesting??
 I thought it was.

We hailed a cab home after. By some miracle we also managed to direct the cab driver through the winding subdivision that was plagued with dead ends. It was quite a feat.

I want to say we swam after that, but I could be wrong.

I did some henna on Julia's hand and she and I ordered some Thai food. Soon after dinner I headed out for the airport. It was a sad ordeal.

The flight back was so long. It took me 28 hours from arrival at the Dubai airport to walking out of the Boise airport. What a long flight.

I was so happy to be back. When you finally find that place that feels like home, you know it. It took me 19 years but I found a home, and it feels great.

Dubai- Sister is coming!

My sister should be here very soon. 

Her plane is bound to land within the next hour!

So very excited!!!

I cannot wait to squeeze her face!!!

The days have gotten so very hot. 

Today, I slept until about noon and shuffled downstairs right after the rest of the household 

(aside from my dad) 

had crawl'n  up stairs to nap.

Before you think that I am just the laziest person in the world for sleeping in so late I need you to know that I have stayed up late the last few nights. My mom asked my to do some art work for her while here and I am sad to admit that I put it off until late in my trip. I have been working on it late once the babies are in bed because working on things like that is very hard with 4 adorable little ones (all under the age of 6) running around the house.

I also prefer a quiet environment to be creative in.

There must have been a number of nights last year where my parents tried to go to bed upstairs as I squeaked my way through Fiddler on The Roof songs on my violin. 

Got to love parents!

  Anyway, back to today.

My dad recommend I go on an adventure if I felt up to it seeing as how I have only a few days left here. 

I thought about it, but I only see my family so often, and I have adventures by myself all the time.

I sat in the garage with my dad for a while and just talked about.... i don't know...a bit of everything, as he

worked on some wood toys he is making. 

 The garage is not air conditioned so it didn't take long for us to get very hot.

We walked to the pool, and my mom followed a bit later. 

We spent a good amount of time at the pool. We would stay in the water until our bodies got used to the water temperature, then we would get out until we were hot and then hop back into the water. 

Oh the simple pleasures in life. 

We had a typical meal here.

Some sort of meat and some rice, served with some sort of Arabic flatbread on the side.

SO YUMMY!

I am going to greatly miss the bread once I leave. 

I am so excited for my sister to get here that I can hardly stand it!!!!!!!

Dubai- recognitions, miracles and hubbly bubbly

I have been feeling very sick still. The last few days have been good though.

Tuesday I went with my mom on a bus tour of Dubai. 

You know, one of those kinds were people sit on a double-decker bus and drive around with their cameras in hand taking pictures of random building that they won't remember the name of by tomorrow. 

I was one of those people for a day. We sat on the top of the bus and listened to our little headphone tour guide.

The cool thing about this tour was that they made frequent stops all over Dubai and allowed you to get up and just catch any of the buses coming later. Buses stopped about every 20 minutes.

If it wasn't so hot I am sure we would have stopped more. 

We stopped at the Dubai creek and took a free boat tour.

Then we hopped back onto the bus and got off at the next stop, Heritage Village.

Heritage Village was right on the Creek and was the remains of an old Dubai Village. There were many shops selling the goods that most shops here sell, Pretty things.

The people at the shops there weren't as excited at bartering as I am ALL THE TIME!

They got annoyed with me when I tried. Oh well.

After Heritage Village, we rode on a while before stopping at the Gold Souk. How do I describe this to you.....hmmmm......ok imagine you are walking through a downtown somewhere. A crowded downtown with narrow streets, but in every shop window is jewelry. SO MUCH JEWELRY!! Huge pieces, small pieces, fancy pieces and a few simpler pieces. Just so much gold and silver. It went on and on and on for ever. And you go into little shopping centers where there are 3 floors of gold stores.  It was too overwhelming for me to be honest. 

Here comes a pointless rant.

I'm not a gold and jewels girl, but I did think that my future hubby can buy my emerald ring there  when he is here asking my dad and brother for their blessing to marry me. I think it sounds perfect. This is me writing my story naturally, but an emerald ring I MUST have!

 We then finished the bus tour that took us all over old and new Dubai.

We ended at the Batutta mall where we started out.


Wednesday I slept in and then spent the afternoon with Andy and Tehra. 

We first drove to Al Karama for some shopping because I needed more Harem pants and Andy had never been there. 

I was very embarrassed when my brother bought a belt from a guy whom I had bartered mercilessly with for sunglasses. He wanted 75 DH for them and I wouldn't pay more than 25.  The guy recognized me before I recognized him.

Then we kept looking through stores and at least 3 other men said that they remembered me from before. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. I hope they didn't send out a picture memo of me warning shop owners not to barter with the white girl with bangs. 

After Karama, we went to the beach for a little while before the sun set. It was beautiful, and I found some pretty shells. 

I try to collect shells from all the places I go, if possible. 

I have my huge collection of Ireland shells, and some Puerto Rico shells, and now some Dubai shells, and hopefully I can add Ecuador shells to that list soon! :]

We went to eat at an Italian place called Stephanos after that. 

We feasted on bread, and some breaded cheesy rice ball things, and huge helpings of pasta, and passed around the orange-mint  hubbly-bubbly pipe. First time ever smoking anything in my life. My poor lungs probably hate me.

Thursday was interesting in its own way.

A week or so ago my fixed retainer on my top front teeth broke.

Yesterday was the day decided that I would go to the ortho to get it taken care of. 

I went to the Canadian dentist/ortho. 

We got to the office and the receptionist was the sweetest Philippino woman. She started telling us all about how she wanted to name her daughter Hannah because of the story of Hannah in the Bible. 

She told us about how she went and prayed at 5am every morning that she would have a daughter.

She prayed for years and finally got to the point of giving up and told God on a certain morning that this morning would be the last morning she would pray for it. Then later she was at a church and a prophetic guy was there speaking, and in the middle of what he was saying he stopped and said that a lady there was praying for a baby, and God was going to give her that baby. 

Then she told us about other complications during the pregnancy and how every-time one came up she would go back to the place of prayer and talk to God about it, and then it would go away. 

She wanted to have a daughter with a January birthday. Her first ultrasound said she was going to have a boy with a December due date. She went back and prayed to God for a January daughter, and the next ultrasound said that she was having a girl. She had also had a number of miscarriages before  her daughter was born and it looked like she would miscarry this one too, but she went back to God again and all the complications cleared up. 

She did have that baby, and it was a girl, and she was born in January. Total miracle. 

I felt blessed after talking to this beautiful woman. It is these wonderful stories and encounters in random places that remind you of how loving and omnipotent and omnipresent God really is.

The ortho then looked at my teeth. Removed the old retainer and took a mold for the new one. I about coughed out a lung when they had to take the mold. I have been so sick that breathing through my nose was not an option, but if you breath at all through your mouth you choke on the huge tray full of goop in your mouth.  Think Fluoride treatment times 10. GAG! SO on Monday I go back to the ortho to pick up my new retainer, and Tues night/Wed morning I leave Dubai to go home.

I suppose that is all I will say for now. Check back in later.

Dubai-Jumeirah- Wild Wadi Waterpark

Today doesn't have much for pictures. I am sorry.

I woke up feeling terrible! My nose was running, my head ached, and my ears hurt terribly. 

My Dad leaves for Saudi Arabia tomorrow so he wanted to go out and do something today.

It was 45 degrees outside today so he suggested Wild Wadi Water-park.

After taking some Acetaminophen to relieve my headache we headed out. Just him and I.

 I naturally didn't bring my camera because it is a water park.

I need to buy a waterproof camera.

Check out Wild Wadi for yourself.

 We went on all the slides, and hung out in the wave pool a bit.

I went on the giant free fall slide, the Jumeirah Sceirah. I was always too afraid to go on those sorts before so I figured I would be brave and go on it this time. I was terribly disappointed. I had to close my eyes through the whole things because of water getting into it, and then I got a dreadful wedgie, and then it was done. Note to self; bring goggles next time.

I wish I had brought my camera because the park was located right by the Burj Al-Arab.

This Hotel is a 7-star hotel.

 It is also located right off the beach.

As you climb the lines to the slides you get to take in a view of the beach, or a view of the Burj Al-Arab, and in the distance you could see building skylines through the sandy haze.

It was truly lovely.

Maybe in the future I will buy a waterproof camera, and take it to Wild Wadi's again.

I got alot of sun though, and thankfully I faithfully put sunblock on. If I had not I would not doubt be re-living my Puerto-Rico lobster ordeal.