The Allens Invade Europe

Our first stop on our summer holiday this year was London - just before the Olympics hysteria hit.  Jeremy and I have always wanted to travel in Europe, but never really thought it would be possible until we took the overseas job.  At that point, it wasn't just possible, but almost necessary.  When we were researching flights home, almost every flight we found stopped in London.  We took advantage and took an extended stay in the capital of the U.K.  An air of excitement descended upon our household weeks before the big travel day finally arrived.  It was so intense on the day before our flight left (at 2 a.m.) that poor little Lila could sense something was up and refused to nap.  At all.  Thus, we arrived at Dubai International Airport with two over-sized suitcases and a toddler who hadn't slept for 18 hours straight.  Needless to say, we were a little nervous about how the rest of the trip would go down.

Lucky for us, Dalila loves to fly.  She HATED waiting in the airport, dressed in her cute little jammies and wheeled around in her stroller from gate to gate as we waited for take-off.  But once we found our seats, she was settled and ready for the trip.

Our first thoughts when our plane touched down at Heathrow at 6:00 a.m. went something like "brrrrrrrrr!!!"  Mind you, we came from a high of 120* F and rolled into London at barely 50* - that's a HUGE change!  Most of the trip was much the same as our arrival day as far as weather goes.  Lots of rain, wind and cold, sprinkled with a little sunshine. After finally finding some adorable Wellies for Lila and a jacket for me - we were set to go!

Lila, strutting her stuff in her new Wellies

 Here is the rest of our amazing vacation in picture book style, just how we like it!

THE FAMILY AT PICCADILLY CIRCUS:

WE FOUND A CLASSIC RED PHONE BOOTH!!

RIDING ON THE TOURISTY DOUBLE-DECKER BUS:

CHASING THE TRAFALGAR SQUARE PIGEONS:

DADDY AND LILA AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE:

THE FAM AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE:

GREAT SHOT OF A FEW OF LONDON'S FAMOUS LANDMARKS ALL IN ONE PIC:

AT THE LONDON EYE ON A RAINY, COLD DAY:

THE CLOCK TOWER (AKA. BIG BEN):

HOTDOGS ON A RIVER CRUISE:

THE TOWER OF LONDON:

TOWER BRIDGE AND THE OLYMPIC RINGS:

AT OLYMPIC PARK:

ON THE WAY TO HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL BRICK LANE:

LIVERPOOL STATION, ONE OF THE LAST STOPS ON OUR FUN-FILLED LONDON VISIT:

Despite a few hiccups (including the loss of Jeremy's new Rolex over the side of the tour bus, a crew of very concerned Japanese tourists behind us, a few challenges before attaining mastery status of the London Underground - WITH a stroller in tow, and the normally blah weather) we thoroughly enjoyed our little trip to London.  We're already planning our European trip next summer....but hoping for a little sun on our next jaunt to Europe =)

Dalila and Friends: Meet the Gang

How about a short little post about all of the friends Dalila has made so far?  Jeremy and I marvel frequently at how exciting her list of friends' nationalities is - something she certainly couldn't count on back home in Idaho, where diversity is, shall we say, limited.  We love that she sees all races, clothing styles, and nationalities here with no reaction either way.  She is totally color-blind when looking at people of the many varied nationalities who live in the U.A.E. and we're deeply grateful to have the means to provide her with the opportunity to be this way.

One of our favorite standing play dates happens most Fridays at a place called Fun City (like an indoor amusement park, only extra crazy thanks to the echo that comes with being smack dab in the middle of a toddler- and big kid-filled warehouse-o-fun).  Luckily, Fridays are much more calm, being the holy day and all.  So we often met in the mornings for Dalila to practice her social skills.  We also love that a toddlers-only room exists with padded floors, TONS of little kid toys, and pretend play opportunities galore.  Here is where we would set up camp, the grown ups plunking down on the various bean bag chairs and cushion seats scattered throughout the area to watch our toddlers try not to turn a dispute over a lego into Toddler Death Match 3000.  Some days were more successful than others, but Dalila always lit up when we announced that she would get to go and see her friends.

I bragged on and on about the various nationalities of her group of friends and then promptly halted that explanation, so here's the rest of that bit =)  Arguably Dalila's best buddy, Dara (lovingly pronounced "Dora" by our little one who adores some little-known television program of the same name...) comes from parents who are Irish and Romanian.  She is adorable, very close to the same age as Dalila, and makes a perfect partner in crime for the various toddler shenanigans their hard-working little brains dream up.  Jemma is a little friend Dalila met when we first arrived and then happened to run into through a mutual friend months later.  She is from South Africa.  Another little friend who is very, very tall for his age - almost as tall as all the girls - but the youngest of the bunch is called Harrison and comes from Scotland.  These kiddos comprise our usual play-date gang and are an absolute blast to watch together.  Here are some photos of them sitting on a banana (btw, getting four two-year-olds to sit for a picture at the same time AND look at the camera was an incredible feat!):

From left to right: Dalila, Harrison, Dara, and Jemma

Our Fun City gang is only one small portion of Dalila's growing list of pals.  We are members at a local hotel where we can use the facilities, including pool, gym, squash courts, etc.  She has made quite a few little friends here from around the globe as well.  Her favorite pal at the pool is an adorable little girl from Russia called Dasha.  The two walk around like they own the place and, indeed, are treated like royalty by most of the staff, who are no doubt awed by the girls' bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and winning personalities.  Two of Dalila's buddies here are from Middle Eastern countries - Leen is from Syria (I think) and Sara - Dalila's oldest friend is a native Emirati girl.  Here are a few photos of Dalila and Leen - sharing exactly how one would expect two-year-olds to share pool toys....noisily and with a pinch of hostility =)

Of course - this entry wouldn't be complete without including Dalila's buddies from her home country.  She loves to play with friends Ellison, Eden and Edward who traveled here from Utah.  Her favorite boys are Colt and Bayne, originally from Omaha.  She asks for these two constantly and loves to go wild with her boys =)

Making grass angels with friends Ellison, Edward, and Eden

Bouncing on the crib with her favorite boys, Colt and Bayne

We're so glad Dalila has endless opportunities to find friends and are constantly surprised to find how similar kids are even when they come from places all over the world!  Now we can't wait for Dalila to get to know her cousins back home and test out some of the social skills she's learned (translation:  Watch out cousins!!  Dalila's on her way!).

Where Did June Go?

Once again, I'm rushing to get a post done for the last month. I don't know where this deadline comes from, or why I feel so compelled to enforce it, but a post a month should be a pretty realistic goal, yes? Not if you're me, but oh well. And I'd love to say that some selfless reason exists for my lack of posts, like I'm out changing the world, one non-native English speaking student at a time, but I've barely seen my students this whole month. Anyway, the end result is a rush to post by my self-imposed deadline. Here you go!

In my last post, I was about to attend my third wedding in the U.A.E. and shared my experience with weddings here thus far. Now I can summarize the specifics of the latest wedding I had the pleasure of attending - and I can promise that it didn't disappoint!

I felt brave this time and decided to drag Dalila along with me - partly to show her off, partly so I would have a reason to leave early. Yes, yes, I know this is completely selfish, but aren't these just two of the natural perks that come with motherhood? Really, I'd be wrong NOT to take her along for these reasons! I really am glad I brought her, though. She was a huge hit, and provided endless entertainment for the wedding guests. See? I KNEW there was a selfless reason for dragging my little munchkin along to a 9:00 pm wedding!

I'll tell the rest of the story in pictures, because, let's be honest, that's what we all skip to in blogs anyway.


1. What did we wear?

Turns out, even with my fancy dress and Lila's adorable tutu - we were STILL under-dressed!! But we felt pretty and were able to party-down, none the less. And, just because it seems to be a requirement for blogs featuring fashion of any kind, check out my awesome hair pic! Yep - that's a waterfall braid. Hot, right? I couldn't figure out how to end it, so I just threw a flower in and, voila! Done.

2. What did we eat?

BAM!! How about a ginormous plate of goat! This may not look like much, but, I promise you, this plate was the size of your average hubcap and piled about a foot off the table with meat and rice. Delectable meat and rice, I might add. And before this beauty arrived, I was too busy to snap any photos of the other dishes as I was stuffing my face with the other goodies that served as appetizers, including precious little mini desserts (really? mini - who are we fooling!?!), hummous, fruit, yogurt, grilled meats, yummy little fried thingies, etc., etc., etc.. Emirati weddings are NOT to be outdone when it comes to food!



3. What did the wedding look like?

Ok - I have to be kind of careful here. Muslim women here in the U.A.E. frequently choose not to have their pictures taken. So, as I was snapping photos on my hot pink phone that seemed to glow in the low light and send signals clear to the other side of the room, I tried to be discrete about my forbidden photography. Sadly, nonchalance is really not something I'm known for, or, frankly, very good at. So the result is blurry photos that are few and far between. Here are the ones I managed to snap that didn't have too many ladies that seemed to want to avoid the camera.

Here, Lila enjoys standing in her chair.  This is the calmest and most well-behaved she was all night.

Lila and Mommy - in another pose where she is somewhat calm. The wedding hall was beautiful, but, I was a little afraid to snap very many photos.



4. Just how wild did Dalila get?


In short, she got VERY wild. Here is one of my favorite pictures of her with this adorable little boy in the full kandora and fancy sandals get-up. (Sidenote - I LOVE to see the little tiny boys dressed just like their daddies in their finest white robes - kandoras - and fancy sandals. Seriously, these men can wear a pair a sandals like nobody's business. I frequently catch myself accidentally admiring a hot pair of what I think are some lovely, bedazzled wedge-heeled sandals, only to learn I've wandered into the men's section!). Anyway, these two were enamored with each other from the moment their devious little toddler eyes locked from across the room. Here, they investigate a hole in the floor and discuss just what things could be thrown into said hole.

5. Is there video evidence of these shenanigans?

Why yes, yes there is. Though, once Dalila became comfortable in her surroundings, she was unstoppable. Literally. One fellow wedding guest mentioned to me the next day that she had almost forgotten I was even at the wedding as I was busy chasing my little one all over the room, making sure she didn't try to perform the table cloth trick and take out a bunch of unsuspecting guests with a tumbling display of food. It was exhausting! Hence, the shaky amateurish display of cinematography that follows:

In the charming video above, Dalila hopes to perform the dance of her people by teaching her little partner how to do-si-do. Little does she know, square dancing (and partner dances in general) are not a significant part of culture in the Middle East. In fact, they are "haram" - or "really, really naughty." Thus, she was left to chase her partner down, as the following clip shows. We need to show her how to play hard-to-get, I think.... (But, to be fair - that little boy was chasing Lila back most of the time - and he even threw in a hug or two that I wasn't able to catch on video!).

So ends our first wedding season here in the United Arab Emirates.  We learned a lot, ate even more, and generally, felt awestruck at every turn.  But what an amazing experience each wedding has been for me.  Now I can look at that "Platinum Weddings" show and say, "Meh.  I've seen better."

The Wondrous World of Weddings in the U.A.E.

As I find myself preparing to attend my third wedding since moving to my new home, I can't help but to draw a few comparisons to the weddings I'm more familiar with back in the U.S. - including our own beautifully simple ceremony.

Jeremy and I planned on a budget, but were extremely happy with our results.  My dress was perfect - as was his fantastic tuxedo, we served a light meal that everyone seemed to enjoy, and we even found a way around the alcohol ban at our chosen location with a makeshift open bar set up in the parking lot out of the backs of trucks and my uncle's camper (but shhhhh....that part is supposed to be a secret!).  Our wedding was everything we hoped it would be, and allowed us to spend a little more on a honeymoon we equally enjoyed.

Our beautiful wedding at the Shelton Wedding Chapel
in Iona, Idaho

Weddings here offer a glimpse into a whole new world (yes - I mean for you to think of Jasmine and Aladdin with that line - it is the Middle East, after all).  This world is one where money is NO object and opulence is an absolute necessity.  In a country where citizens are treated to jaw-dropping monetary rewards by their government just to get married, one would expect no less than a wedding to end all weddings.  Even with the generous amounts of dirhams the U.A.E. bequeaths to its citizens with pending nuptials, it's evident that some families deem the donations too small.  Thus, they throw some of their own savings at the bride and groom to ensure that the wedding is one to remember.

Let's start with the setting.  Muslim weddings are far different from the Christian ones many of us are more familiar with.  The men and women must be separated.  Often, and indeed, this is true for all three weddings I've attended so far, women are allowed to view the festivities that the male guests attend on screens positioned throughout the wedding hall.  Speaking of the wedding hall, picture the most lavish wedding decor you have ever seen.  Now add about $30,000 of extra glitz and glam to that picture and you might be close to the usual decor displayed at a U.A.E. wedding.  Here is a picture I found that looks very much like one of the weddings I attended:

While the women are allowed to view the men, the male party is NOT allowed to view the women's party.  Why?  Good gracious - you should SEE what the women wear to these things!!!  It might as well be a red carpet party or a royal ball for all the effort the women put into dressing up for all their lady friends.  And ladies, we know we dress for other women - so you can imagine the undercurrents of envy that float through the wedding hall when a best-dressed lady walks by.  Women here are used to being covered, and a wedding is a time for them to celebrate being beautiful, fancy, and fashionable divas - which many of them take to heart!  The following photo is of a dress that would be for a bride back home in the states, but I saw a guest dressed in almost the same style - and her dress was of modest price compared to many of the others!

The bride is the centerpiece of the whole affair, as should be the custom.  Usually, she arrives about two hours after the party begins.  Her entrance is a dramatic affair, with loud, climactic music penetrating the hall and the ears of all guests and a twenty minute slow parade down the catwalk to center stage as photographers snap shot after shot.  This part seemed odd to me at first, but I find myself staring as the bride makes her way down the raised platform - awestruck by her amazing dress.  Here is a photo I found from the site http://khaleejia.blogspot.com/2009/10/wedding-dresses-gulf-style-3.html - where you can see many other styles typically chosen by brides here.  I can't (and don't want to) imagine the cost of these dresses state-side.

The bride sits on the stage for a little while after her arrival and the women continue to party.  Often, friends of the bride - or any guests brave enough - venture to the platform to dance and show off their dresses.  After a warning announcement for all faithful women to cover themselves, the new husband and other important males in the family are allowed to come into the party - but only for a very brief time.  Then, they are ushered out again, and the women-only festivities continue.


And how could I describe these lavish affairs without mentioning the food.  Wow.  There are trays upon trays upon trays of food.  Servers start by bringing out traditional appetizers of bread, hummous, vegetables, salads and various finger foods.  Most of the time, the main course is an extraordinary plate of half of a roast goat and pounds of rice placed at each table for the guests to serve themselves.  I know - I like goats too and think they're the cutest part at the petting zoo....but MAN is this dish delicious!

I'm sure I've just barely scratched the surface in my description of the opulence that is the U.A.E. wedding - and I'm certain I've forgotten some of the important parts.  But hopefully this provides at least a glimpse of life in a completely different world.


Also, it's important to note that while the reception that I've described screams of lavishness, the actual wedding ceremony is very small and has already taken place before all of these events even begin.  This ceremony is for close family only and I honestly can't say exactly what happens there - though I know they are very traditional and humble.

As amazing as these weddings are, I wouldn't take a do-over if I was offered the same kind of ceremony.  Jeremy and/or I personally knew every single guest at our wedding.  Here, I've only met one of the brides personally from the three weddings I've attended!  The intimate, personal ceremony and reception fit Jeremy and I much better than the lavish U.A.E. style...but they definitely are an experience to watch!

(Note:  taking pictures at these weddings is not exactly allowed, so I had to pull photos from other sites.  Here is a reference for where the other pictures came from:
Decor photo - http://www.invent-uae.com/blog/tag/event-decor/
Party dress - http://www.paklinks.com/gs/wedding/327994
Wedding dress -   http://khaleejia.blogspot.com/2009/10/wedding-dresses-gulf-style-3.html
Food photo - http://www.letseat.at/medina/gallery)