Returning to the 20's

Well it has finally happened, I have officially hit 20 for the 2nd time!!  Or as some people say I have turned 40!!  I had mentioned to Ashi that I would love to have a Roarin' 20's themed party for my Return to 20, but he informed me that he would be traveling the week of my birthday and wasn't sure it was doable.  So we were going to have a family lunch and then dinner with friends.

Well Ashi, said he was sorry he couldn't give me the party I wanted so he bought me a 20's style dress to wear for lunch and he would wear a suit.  Well when we got to the restaurant I was surprised by a great group of friends all dressed in 20's garb!!!! 

It was amazing.  The staff at the restaurant were even dressed up and went out of their way to make it a very special day.  This included making a very delicious sugar free cake for me!!!  I have said it in a previous post, but I am telling everybody, "You have to visit Chocopologie Dubai they are an awesome restaurant with great food, fantastic desserts and a truly amazing staff!!!!

Call and make a reservation 042329880 or just stop by for a fantastic dining experience!!!  They are located at DFC across the bridge from Macaroni Grill and just past m0re.

Thanks everybody for making my birthday extra special!!!!

Lunch, Art and Fun Run!!!

Today was a very busy day! 

First off as you know from Ashi's posts he is away at a conference.  This morning Amani had an art workshop at school that began at 8 am while on the other side of town Sabeena had her ballet lesson starting at guess what time???  You got it, 8 am. 

Luckily, Amani's friend Caitlyn was going to drive to school with us for the workshop day, which made me a bit more comfortable with dropping Amani off at the school at 7:30.  However, the best part was when we pulled into the school parking lot, first the gate was open which meant the girls would be able to wait inside, but even better than that was when the teachers pulled in right behind me at 7:31.  With a sigh of relieve and Amani and Caitlyn getting a little extra time to work on their projects Sabeena and I were off to ballet.  While Sabeena was dancing I did my walking circuit and then called Katya to make sure she was awake and getting ready for the birthday party she was attending  about an hour after I would get home, YAY she was. 

Once home, I helped Katya to finish getting ready (finding a gift bag for the present, Sponge Bob it would be, Sorry Alana ;) then we relaxed a little bit.  At 9:58 we took the LONG JOURNEY, through horrendous traffic to drop Katya off next door at 10:00.  Needless to say we arrived 2 minutes early.  ;)  Katya was ready for an exciting day at Atlantis to celebrate.  Sabeena and I decided to watch a movie (her choice), Lizzie Maguire.  It was nice for her to choose one that she hasn't seen 3 times in the last month or 2. 

At 12:00 we went to school to collect the girls and our neighbor Josh.  Was able to see a few of Amani's pieces  (cool skull, some wire creation, and a skeleton sketch). Dropped off the friends then we went to pick up Jack and Deborah to meet up with Mark and Samia at Art Dubai. 

We had lunch at Noodle House and then went to the exhibit.  Amani found a few artists she really liked; Diana Al Hadid, Jakob Gasteiger, Antonis Denof, and Parashtoo Ahovan.  The exhibit was nice with quite a few good pieces as well as a few to make you scratch your head and go hmmmm.

After the exhibit it was back to campus for the fun run.  This month we were raising awareness for Traffic Safety.  Sabeena rode her scooter while I ran 1/2 and walked 1/2.  I am still getting tired really easy but I am feeling a lot better.  After that it was dinner, shopping, ironing and then off to bed!!!

Once Ashi is back home I will figure out how to get the photos from my phone to the computer. :D

NOLA Day 2

NOLA Day 2 a photo by HopeHubris on Flickr.

So today was the second day in NOLA. Since the conference starts tomorrow, I decided to find my way to the convention center location and see what there was to see. I ended up walking along the riverfront past the aquarium and a Holocaust Memorial art fixture.

While waiting for registration period to open up, I was watching TV at the hotel bar when I started up a conversation with a gentleman who was waiting on someone to arrive. This gentleman is a physician who works for the company that BP turned to for emergency services after the Deep Sea Horizon explosion last year. He is a lifelong Louisiana boy and his wife is originally from New Orleans so he was full of info about the area and how its recovering from Katrina and the oil spill.

Finished up the evening with a walk around Bourbon Street taking photos. Nothing special...

NOLA - Day 1

C360_2011-03-17 15-25-51.jpg a photo by HopeHubris on Flickr.

So I arrived in The Big Easy just after midnight on St. Patrick's Day which was interesting in its own right after a great three days in Las Vegas with Amish, Heath, Leon and Simon. After a quick ride from the airport, checked into my hotel around 130AM and spent the next 12 hours in bed (not always asleep - but that's ok).

I took a two hour walk around the French Quarter since my hotel is a block off of Bourbon St and realized that this would be a great place with friends (even acquaintances) but isn't really as much fun if you're here alone. The place is gorgeous, but its definitely a party place (especially if you're here on St. Patrick's Day) and since I'm not exactly the party solo person - the value is less.

As for the area, since I've never been here before, I can't say how much the place has recovered from before Katrina. What I can say is that there's not much to show physical damage that I can tell. All of the shops I walked into seemed to be ok and there's not much visible damage to the ground or base of buildings. At least there doesn't seem to be much that can't be accounted for by just being a couple of hundred years old.

I'll take another walk around with my new fast lens (50mm/f1.4) and see what there is to see during the parties going on for the holiday.

A Busy Day-A Farewell and A Welcome Home

Last night we took the big girls to see 30 Secs to Mars. The band was great, but the venue was horrible. Anybody under 5'5" (me, Katya and our 2 friends) couldn't see hardly anything. All flat, all standing room only. YUCK!!!!! Well anyways we all still had a good in the end. About 1/2 way through the concert Amani and her friend received an upgrade and were sent to the Fan Pit. About 15 minutes later Katya and our other friend received an upgrade too and joined them.

At the end of the concert Jared Leto invited fans up onto the stage and Amani's friend Anna made it up!!

 On the way home we stopped and got some McD's and Katya decides to announce that Justin Bieber movie starts at 945 and can we please go since we didn't get the chance after last weeks fiasco.  (FYI-we went to another theater and found out that the movie had opened everywhere the following day, except the one that we went to and were given the wrong info).  I must have been extra sleepy and delirious, because I agreed.  Can't remember what time we got home, but it was late.  Woke the girls up at 8:00 and we were outta the house by 8:55.  Dropped Anna off at school for Saturday DT session. (Tried to ditch Amani there too, but she insisted that since she didn't sign the register on Thurs she couldn't stay, even thought both teachers said she could)  ***note-she was not going to the movie with us, just decided to go window shopping (and talked our friend Nausheen into meeting her there and joining her).

We got to the movie and in order to not sit in the first 5 rows had to purchase VIP seats (crazy, right??)  who wants to sit in the first 5 rows????  The movie was 3D and was actually very well done. 

After the movie we met up with Amani, Nausheen and Ashi for lunch at Uno's.  After that we walked a bit then headed home.

I whipped up a batch of my Artichoke Dip (with added spinach at Katya's request) and made a blueberry cobbler to take to Mark & Samia's for dinner.  Our friends the Mundy's were visiting from Doha for the weekend so it was a nice get together.

After dinner we headed to Sharjah English School to collect Sabeena!  The 2 younger Mundy children came with us to see Sabeena and their friends that they hadn't seen in a while.  Sabeena's bus arrived about 10:20, 35 minutes after the proposed time given to the phone tree.  There were many happy parents and tired kids.

We drove home and Sabeena was bubbling with news and excitement.  She was very excited that she had managed to purchase a small gift for each of the people she had promised.  Once home bedtime preparations were made and Ashi prepared to fly out for the states.  Sabeena was a bit upset that she only got 30 minutes with daddy before he was taking off.  About 10 minutes before Ashi's driver arrived I was hit with a migraine, so once goodbyes were said and meds taking it was definitely bedtime!!!!

Sabeena in Switzerland-Last Day

The last 2 emails must have got lost in the cyber-highway. I received them both minutes apart on Saturday even though they appear to have been written Friday morning and then this one Friday night.


Subject: The Morgins Gang
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2011

Dear All,

Everyone is safely off the slopes, washed and packed!
We have an early start tomorrow and look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening.

Best wishes
The Morgins Gang.

Sabeena in Switzerland-Day 7

Subject: The Morgins Gang.
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011

Dear All,
Breakfast is underway and we are preparing for our final day skiing. The sky is completely blue, there is frost on the ground and the snow is holding out well.

Yesterday, many of the children skied to the next village, Champoussin, where they attacked different slopes and crashed on pastures new! Parallel turns are being perfected and steep slopes are not so daunting. The children are able to use all of the lift systems with ease and we are really impressed with them all.
In the afternoon we went shopping in the village. It is not exactly the Dubai Mall but the two tiny shops were enough to satisfy everyone's needs.

In the evening the children practised their performances which they will perform later today. We then settled down to watch ourselves on the video.

So it's off to the slopes and then a busy time packing!
Best wishes
The Morgins Gang.

Sabeena in Switzerland-Day 6

Can't believe that Sabeena has already been in Switzerland 6 days. I was really glad to receive the photo yesterday, but it kind of got my hopes up that more would come today. I am looking forward to seeing her on Saturday. Here is the letter from the teachers...

Subject: The Morgins Gang

Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2011

Dear All,

It has been a very slow start to the day and we are still trying to drag children out of bed for breakfast!

Last night everyone went up the chairlift, in the dark, to the restaurant at the top of the mountain where they cooked their food on hot stones. It was greatly enjoyed by all. The view on the descent, of the village lights twinkling in the valley, was quite breath taking.

During the day everyone was skiing confidently on blue and red runs and the beginners group were delighted to conquer their first red run - skiis ended up pointing all directions and children were scattered in snowy heaps all over the steeper parts of the slope but it was all great fun! It is amazing to witness the speed of improvement of the children, both in ability and confidence. Our school was complemented by the instructors on the attitude and behaviour of the children as well as the overall organisation, which they said made their job very easy...so w ell done to your little darlings!

In the afternoon the children had their last French lessons and they were sorry to say goodbye to the teachers.

Must dash and drag the stragglers out of bed!

Best wishes

The Morgins Gang.

Sabeena in Switzerland-Day 5 with Photo!!

Luke, ?, Elyas, Teacher Rich, Sabeena, ?, Jumana, Nickey and Chrissy

Subject: The Morgins Gang

Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2011

Dear All,

Once again the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky. It seems unlikely that we will see snow actually fall but the conditions for the children are perfect - warm, bright and easy to see the bumps.

Everyone made even more progress yesterday, perfecting their turns and attempting steeper slopes. As confidence increased, concentration slipped, so as a result there were numerous crashes and domino effect collisions! These were all followed with laughter and the chance to share stories of heroic feats! There is great support for each other amongst the children and everyone is getting on very well.

After skiing, it was bread and cake, then French again. Dinner was a complete hit and the food was practically hoovered from the plates! Later we had chalet team games which brought out the competitive streak in the children once again.

We expect that all groups will progress to the more distant slopes today, so more views and experiences await.

Best wishes

The Morgins Gang

Sabeena in Switzerland-Day 4

I am Jealous, Sabeena and her classmates had brownies today.  I still have 2 weeks left of my no dessert regime.  Getting excited about that small slice of birthday cake. 

Here is the letter from Sabeena's Teacher.

 

Subject: The Morgins Gang

Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2011 11:06:40 +0400

Dear All,

Another sunny day in paradise!! The jet lag has passed and this morning many of the children had to be woken up for breakfast! Everyone is busy queuing up for the Sharjah School Bank, before getting ready for the slopes.

Yesterday, we set off fully equiped and everyone headed up to the top of the mountain. The scenery is magnificent in every direction and the children have noticed how clear the air is.

All of the groups made excellent progress and two groups progressed onto the more advanced runs. There was a great sense of achievement, as later in the day they also managed to ski to the village. This involves a beautiful red run through the trees and then following a narrow track which winds its way through the trees to the bottom of the mountain.

We skied hard all day and finally returned to the chalet for bread, jam and brownies.

Following this the children were divided into three groups for French lessons. There were peals of laughter during the lessons and it was agreed that the lessons were a complete Hit!!

After a hearty dinner we wrapped up warmly again and headed out for a night hike through the woods. The sky was clear and comments were made about how clear the stars were.

Bedtime was welcomed and everyone slept well - especially the staff!!

So it is off to the slopes again and a busy day ahead.

Best wishes

The Morgins Gang.

Sabeena in Switzerland-Day 3

I had a really bad day today, so I am just going to post the happy letter from Sabeena's teacher letting me know that they are safe and still having a great time.

Subject: The Morgins Gang

Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011

Dear All,

After a hearty breakfast yesterday, everyone made sandwiches of their choice and clambered into their ski clothes. Once boots were clipped, helmets adjusted and jackets zipped up, we made our way to the ski school and met our instructors, Ginny, Ross and Rich.

Two groups headed straight up the mountain on the chairlift and the beginners found their feet in the village training area, before joining the others at the top of the mountain. The weather was warm and sunny and the views magnificent.

It was brilliant to watch the progress of the children and everyone was able to perform the most important movement of all...the ability to stop! Button tows were quite a challenge and many children fell off - usually when they were laughing at someone else!

At the end of the day Rich's group ski ed all the way back to the village from the top of the mountain. After skiing and afternoon tea of bread jam and crispie cakes, we headed back out for sledging and general snow fun. Skills had improved and the sledging run extended in length. Then dinner was devoured as if no one had seen food before!

Following dinner we had a charades competition in teams. After sharing memories of the day, the children went to bed tired but happy!

Now we are preparing for another energetic day. There is an early mist in the valley but I imagine that the sun will be shining above it.

Best wishes

The Morgins Gang.

Sabeena in Switzerland-Day 2

So while Sabeena is off enjoying the snow and pelting her teachers with snowballs, Ashi and I are trying to keep the older girls entertained!!! Trust me this is no east task ;)

Yesterday we were at Dubai Festival City and saw the sign that the Justin Bieber Movie was finally premiering. As we already had plans I asked the ticket girl if the movie would be open after the 7:30 premier and if we could come back to watch it tomorrow. She smiled and said, "Yes, mam." (READ AS: Yeah, sure, maybe, hmm I'm not really sure). Therefore I told Katya I would take her to see it (Amani and Ashi would watch something else). Needless to say when we arrived today and went to buy our tickets, the ticket girl looked at us blankly, turned to her coworker and said "Are we selling JB Tickets?" The coworker then responded, "No, it opens on Mar 20." Needless to say, I have a very disappointed 13 year old. There were no other movies starting at 730 which would allow us to have dinner first then attend a movie, so we ended up opting for the 630 showing of How Do You Know, starring Reese Witherspoon and decided to have a late dinner. After the movie we took the girls to their new favorite restaurant Chocopologie They enjoyed the food (yes it is a real restaurant and not just a chocolatier), but were bummed that their favorite waiter Rey wasn't working. The waitress we had was good and got the order correct, she was just missing Rey's exuberance and didn't make any effort to suggest things we may like as he regularly does.

Well that was our day. Here is the update from Sabeena's teacher.

Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2011

Subject: The Morgins Gang

Dear All,

Yesterday was an endless day and we managed to pack in many activities. Once everyone had been kitted out with ski boots, skiis and poles we feasted on a delicious pasta lunch and then sorted out the rooms. Unpacking varied from scattered, to the neatly organised, but eventually everyone had sorted themselves out!

After lunch, everyone escaped into the garden and Mr. Smithard was pelted with snowballs!The peace of Morgins has been well and truely shattered!

Next we walked down to a large area above the village where the children sledged for a couple of hours. Very quickly skills were established, speed increased and jumps attempted!

Later we all had showers before dinner and birthday cake. By this time several children were asking to go to bed and a few heads nearly dropped into their dessert! So it was off to bed and silence returned!

Now the school bank is open, breakfast is ready and the sun is shining.

We are all excited and ready for a day on the slopes.

Best wishes

The Morgins Gang

Sabeena Arrives in Morgins, Switzerland!!

Below is the first email from the teachers to let all us worrying parents know that the children have arrived safely at their destination. YAY!!!!

Dear All,

Our journey to Abu Dhabi was very quick and we were entertained to a magnificent firework display as we passed Burj Al Arab. The flight was fantastic - not a bump at all! Everyone managed to sleep a little and there was a wave of excitement as we landed. The children were ALL BRILLIANTLY BEHAVED and we were complimented by a fellow passenger. We have just arrived in Morgins. The sun is shining and the snow glistening.

Next we will be going for ski hire.

Thought you would all like to know that everyone is happy and safe.

Best wishes

The Morgins Gang.

Amani & Katya YW Activity

While Sabeena is off to Switzerland the big girls are keeping to their busy schedule!  Today they had a Young Women's activity where they did a Modest is Hottest Photo Shoot!!  I dropped them off then met my friend Sandra Carter at the park to help her with her new camera.

When I returned to collect the girls there was lots of activity going on as the girls were running around changing their clothes and taking photos.

After the activity we picked up Ashi and drove to Dubai Festival City, where Amani was picked up by our friend Nausheen and they went off to the Dubai Food Festival. Then left Ashi and I to enjoy the afternoon with Katya.  We went to Chili's for lunch then met up with Mark and Maya (Who had to have lunch at YoSushi because Maya wanted "moving food" :)  We went window shopping, stopped at the piano store where Katya put on an impromptu concert.  The store employee even applauded when she finished. :D  After that we did a bit more walking, then once everybody had digested their lunch we headed to Cold Stone for some ice cream. (No Ice Cream for me though)

After Snack we headed to the grocery store to do the week's shopping.  On the way home the car overheated!  Luckily, Mark had also head to the grocery store and was still there.  He brought water and we were able to then continue home and call the car guy to come and collect the car tomorrow for repairs.

Sabeena is off to Switzerland!!

Many of you may remember the Passport post of Katya's school trip to Switzerland!!  Well, believe it or not we are doing it again, this time Passport problems aside.  (I hope).  Sabeena is very excited to go off and enjoy the week of skiing with her classmates.  She started packing a week ago and we finished all up this afternoon.  We were at the school at 8:50 pm where Mrs. Stedman informed us that she had confirmed Sabeena's Passport over 20 times just to be sure.  I let her know that Ashi had also checked the remaining passports we had at home to ensure that hers was the one not there.  Sabeena was the first to check in and take her assigned place in line (#3), but almost immediately the rest of the children started to arrive.  There was true excitement in the air from the children and a bit of nervousness and hesitation on the part of the parents.  Many discussions of "this is my child's first trip" and "Oh they have never gone this far from home" were to be overheard.  I was just repeating "there will be no 2 am phone call this time" over and over again.  :D

The children began boarding the bus at 9:20 pm in order.  Cameras were flashing and many hugs and kisses were being given.  Once they were all on the bus, a final count and check was done and then they were off.

The teacher will be sending Daily updates that I will post so you can all read about the adventures Sabeena and her classmates are having.  Hopefully I will receive some photos to add in too.

Now the anticipation for the Arrival to Switzerland email begins......