"Thanks-giving" in Dubai

This post is from my favorite guest blogger... my wife :) She wrote this to family recently and I thought you'd want to see it.

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Thinking of you today as I do some early Thanksgiving preparations. We are planning an afternoon meal on Thursday with our American co-workers. I am assigned to cook some of my family's favorites (spinach, strawberry jello, sweet potato casserole). I have also been making a pumpkin cheesecake today! That's a new one. I'll let you know how it turns out.

So often I find myself thinking that my life here is very similar to what things were like in the U.S. I suppose it stems from getting "used to" being here (after 4 years). In many ways it is the same. The routines of the day look a lot like they would look if I were still in Kentucky. And yet every few days I am reminded of how very different it is. Here are a few examples from this last week.

As part of our rent renewal (annual payment, one check, and really really huge!), our landlord has agreed to put a fresh coat of paint on the inside of the villa. This is nothing fancy, just white paint, but we are grateful for the fresh coat. So one day last week he sends the painter around to have a look at things. I see him coming from down the street. He's walking, with a grocery bag in hand (his supplies). He smiles and greets me, seems nice enough. But then I realize that he doesn't speak English. I think he is Iranian, but I am not sure. Maybe Pakistani? We try to communicate, using lots of hand gestures, but we don't get very far. I try to pull in the Pakistani gardener from across the street to help with the attempted conversation, but they can't communicate either. Oh well.... maybe next week.

I remember today that I need some new shower curtain liners. After four years of living here I am still not really sure where to find those.

I went to the grocery store yesterday to load up on all the ingredients for the Thanksgiving dishes I am about to prepare. I hesitated in front of the sweet potatoes. There were two choices. Australian and South African. One was about 5 times as much as the other, so I went for the cheaper option. This morning, while the water was beginning to boil, I washed them and started cutting them into chunks to put into the pot. Imagine my surprise when they were white inside! I worried that they were not "sweet" at all, but figured I would go ahead and cook them anyway, and see how they turned out. I figured no one in my family would mind mashed potatoes tonight. But sure enough, they were sweet after all. So my casserole has a different look to it this year. :)

I was lucky enough to find real sour cream yesterday for the jello. Usually I have to substitute with plain yogurt. What a treat!

I think about how I'd like to see the Macy's parade on Thursday morning when I wake up. And, yes, I'd even like to see some football! Maybe we can work that out on the internet somehow.

As I was cooking today I remembered an event from last year around this time. I have a gas stove and oven that is supplied with propane from a tank that sits in the garage. A long hose connects the two. It's hard to know when the propane will run out, no real warnings. Last year it happened as I was preparing my turkey :). Fortunately, there are many delivery trucks around town for this very purpose. They are just a phone call away. Twenty minutes later I was up and running again.

The weather is easing and we are really enjoying the temps in the low 30's (remember, that is Celsius). I cooked with the windows open today, so that was nice. I am thinking about getting some poinsettias this weekend. They love being outside on the front porch.

Two days ago Aqmed rang the doorbell. He is the Yemeni carpet salesman who comes by from time to time wearing his dishdasha (long white robe) and peddling carpets from the back of his Mitsubishi Pajero SUV. He is very friendly and speaks excellent English. He is probably 60 or so, and he brings his adult son with him to do the heavy lifting. If we show any interest at all they will come into our house and unroll carpets on top of carpets for our inspection. He has taught us the arabic word "helwah", (referring to his carpets) which means beautiful or excellent (I think). He's a hoot. He's the only male gulf arab who greets me with the British kiss on the cheek (touch cheeks, kiss the air).

See, just like I said before, it's the same as in the US. :) I hope this inside look at my day reminds you that the impressions of Dubai in the media are not the whole picture of life here. See anything that strikes you as different from your week?

There's so much to be thankful for. New paint, plenty to chose from at the grocery store, running water, quick propane delivery, Butterball turkeys in the grocery store, and nice weather. And that's just the small stuff.

Most of all I am so thankful for each of you. I hope your Thanksgiving is fun and refreshing. (It really is the best holiday of the year, if you ask me).

Lots of love,
Joanne

Update: The pumpkin cheesecake turned out great! (It wasn't for Thursday, it was just for fun).