shock of life

i think

2011-02-04T16:00:00.004+04:00

i thinkthere's nothing better than a clean black cari thinkmean people do suck, just like the bumper sticker saysi thinkyou get what you givei thinkmost people are genuinely kindi thinkeveryone should smell goodi thinki'll never be able to manage proper French pronunciationi thinki could get used to living in Europe and drinking red wine at lunchi thinkthat being grateful for what we have is

seasons

2011-01-04T18:50:00.002+04:00

2010 brought a roller-coaster of memories. Summer in Paris can not be forgotten. And, having one of my besties travel to see us as Fall turned to Winter was a wonderful gift.But in between the highs there were challenges that life can sometimes throw at you. Like when Winter began to turn into Spring a soul-sister got sick with the dreaded "C" word and I struggled with the feeling of helplessness

i suck at transitions

2010-09-12T07:56:00.004+04:00

Very soon the weekends will begin to mean something to me again. No more of one day blending effortlessly into the next. No more nights where we don't give any thought to starting a movie at 10pm and no more days where we can open our eyes as the light breaks through the window, squint at the clock and then roll over to snooze for awhile longer. Those will now become things we had the luxury to

so what

2010-09-03T10:11:00.005+04:00

I am in danger of becoming a hoarder. You know those people they show on Oprah that have all kinds of stuff hidden everywhere? Except that I wont have knick-knacks and kitty litter piled high and a house smelling like cat pee. Instead, you'd find boxes and boxes of Stevia I bought back in Arizona (since I have a hard time finding it here) hidden discreetly in cabinets alongside my favorite reed

summer

2010-08-08T13:14:00.005+04:00

This summer, especially in contrast to last year, has been one of my very favorites. We traveled halfway around the world and then traveled back again. On our way from Paris back to Dubai I had to pinch myself. What was I doing on a plane bound from Paris to Dubai in the first place? And more than that, the craziest shock of life about it was I was flying back "home" to a

french connection

2010-08-01T16:34:00.006+04:00

I just returned from my first trip to Paris. Ever since I took French my freshman year of high-school I've felt I was living on the wrong continent. I should have been born a French girl, darn it. Only a trip to Paris could prove me right.....or wrong.... Maybe I was just glamorizing the whole French thing. I was warned... "they are rude" ,"they don't like Americans so say that you're Canadian"

i believe i can fly

2010-05-09T12:30:00.004+04:00

Did you know I won the lottery? It was a long time ago. August 23rd, 1965. And, I've been getting richer from it ever since. It sank in over the course of years, and many wonderful memories, that I am a lucky girl because I have one of the best moms in the world. I won the mom lottery.She taught me so many things spoken and unspoken. How to love, how to respect and treat others the way you

neil where are you?

2010-04-23T07:36:00.004+04:00

Rod Stewart is coming, Elton John just left. So, is it unreasonable of me to wonder where Neil Diamond is? It's starting to feel like home around here. Crate and Barrel just opened at Mall of the Emirates and Pottery Barn at Mirdiff Mall. PF Chang's is on the way, so where is Neil Diamond?There are many concerts I want to see come here ranging from Blue October to the Black Eyed Peas. I have a

the name game

2010-02-28T11:31:00.008+04:00

Notice anything different about me? Besides my slowly improved understanding of French, my new flexible and more patient personality and my slightly darker hair color? Can't guess? Well then I'll tell you. I've changed my name!No, I will not be known from now on as Garrance, Colette or Christiane. My personal name will be staying the same, although changing it to Christiane is tempting.....my

love is in the air

2010-02-14T12:03:00.002+04:00

I am a lucky girl. I am getting to spend the entire day with my Valentine. Kids are in school and I am pretending Design Guy and I are on vacation...in Dubai...all alone. So, how to start off our special day? After we dropped the Shakes off at school we headed to our first stop. We went to the Emirates Post Office to rent a his and her P.O Box. Does this mean we will be staying for a while? It

party in the UAE

2010-01-05T17:23:00.007+04:00

The Atlantis stares, mouth open in disbelief. The Burj Al Arab is straight faced and you can see the jealous look in it's eye. There's a new kid in town. She's dominated the hood with her tall, thin good looks for awhile now, but until last night she hadn't tried any moves to take away their thunder. She just sat there patiently waiting for her moment to shine. And shine she did. In fact, she

silly string culture

2009-12-04T10:12:00.009+04:00

These Emirati's know how to make a party last. Turns out that National Day is not just a one day wonder. It lasts for like 4 days! There are flags flying all over the place, extravagantly decorated cars, parades in every mall, fireworks and crazy spirit abounding.Last night we went to Al Reem Bawadi, our favorite Lebanese restaurant in Dubai. The festive decor was picture worthy. They had the

you've got spirit? so let's hear it!

2009-11-30T16:06:00.006+04:00

National Day is coming. It is like the United States 4th of July holiday (on steroids). Even if you didn't know the actual date, December 2, you would know it was just around the corner. Flags are beginning to fly everywhere and cars are being decorated to the extreme. Yes, many people actually paint their entire car for this occasion. If I can get any pics to post I will, but just imagine an

letter to a friend

2009-11-09T09:20:00.004+04:00

Dear Phoenix,I know you are probably wondering how things are going over here. Shame on me for not writing sooner to my dear, long-time friend. Hard to believe I have been away from you for almost 5 months. I may be 8,000 miles away, but I think of you every day. I think of how easy and comfortable you were to be around. I miss how much fun you are and how you can always be counted on for a