Archives
7s Heaven: The HSBC Dubai Rugby 7s
Posted on December 10, 2011 2 Comments
My relationship with my fiancé closely mirrors my relationship with rugby. I began dating Matt seven years ago when I moved in next door to the infamous “rugby house” located strategically between campus, and the bars. If ever a real life “Animal House” were to be, this would have been it. I spent afternoons wrapped […]
Leaving the Wild West.
Posted on September 24, 2011 130 Comments
In January 2011 I left behind my chapped, winter lips, wearing instead a gold wedding band, and rode in the passenger’s seat to Seattle, where Matt and I would board a plane bound for the Al Gharbia Desert. We didn’t speak Arabic, couldn’t have told you where this desert lay on a map and were […]
Sugar, Spice, and Souks: Deira Spice Souk
Posted on July 11, 2011 4 Comments
If you came to the United Arab Emirates in search of old world vignettes, tucked in narrow alleyways, filled with magic carpets, Arab men in colorful head scarves and puffs of jasmine flavored incense, you may be disappointed when confronted with the modern city. While Dubai rises high into the clouds with its contemporary sky […]
Size Matters: The Burj Khalifa
Posted on June 28, 2011 2 Comments
If you are like me, and a large population of Australians, you are intrigued by, and often duped into making detours in order to view “The world’s largest can opener”, or “The longest dreadlock.” While hopping around Australia last Spring I was taken by how many signs I saw for “Broken Hill’s Big Bench” Or […]
A is for Abaya, B is for Betsey Johnson
Posted on June 15, 2011 12 Comments
I don’t like to be told what to do. Tricky character trait when faced with the challenge of camouflaging one’s self in the fabric of a culture not your own. After failed attempts to acclimate on the scene by drinking too much tequila in Mexico, or by wearing stilettos on Italian cobblestone until my feet […]
Summer Kick-Off, Road Trip to the Liwa Oasis
Posted on May 28, 2011 3 Comments
Summer is on the sandy horizon and for a Pacific Northwest girl that means one thing, Road Trip! Problem 1) My international driver’s license is not valid in the UAE…go figure? Problem 2) In an Islam nation alcohol is prohibited for purchase unless an alcohol license is obtained, which I am working on. But come […]
108 for Japan: Complete!
Posted on May 20, 2011 Leave a Comment
Little satisfies me more than doing my part to create a better world, and physical exercise. You can imagine then how elated I was Friday morning after completing 108 Sun Salutations for our Japan Aishteru fundraiser. The event was a huge success both in terms of monies raised and participation across the globe. Yogis from […]
A World of Music, WOMAD Festival Abu Dhabi
Posted on May 8, 2011 2 Comments
I used to be really in to the Putumayo world music albums and listened to everything from “French Cafe” to “North African Groove.” These albums allowed me to close my eyes and get far away from my actual self, not yet traveled, and live an imagined life where I was changing the world, jumping off […]
A Taste of Dubai
Posted on March 12, 2011 3 Comments
Every city has its niche. None compete with Chicago Blues, Melbourne street art, or Hong Kong Dim sum chefs. If I were to pin-point Dubai’s most notable expertise it would be the city’s deliberate interweaving of architectural styles, cultures, fashions and cuisine. There was no better representation of this than last weekend’s Taste of Dubai […]
Sand Sand Everywhere: First and Last Desert Safari
Posted on March 7, 2011 1 Comment
The sun may go down in the UAE but the fire still burns bright. Atop a tall spire, not quite as far in the desert distance as I would like is an instant reminder that I live in a country with the seventh largest oil reserve. This reminder, along with an expansive sand box for […]
Teachtravelplay's Blog 