Friday, July 8, 2011

Goat Grab in the Desert


Late this afternoon, a kind Emirati fellow we met at our hotel/home invited us out to his desert camel farm for the evening. As a result, a group of us caravaned an hour or so deep into the sand waves. Here B stands on the crest of what is tantamount to a North Shore-sized wave. Only these gritty sand swells move eons slower than their salty wet counterparts. GEOLOGY PEOPLE!




Our host decided that we would feast on Roast Goat. Why do all delicious animals have to be so cute? Oh why damn you! (repeatedly slamming fist into floor) Note the insanely adorable long ears.



This is our host, Mr. Zayed's humble desert retreat. Twas explained to me that even the most pimped out oil-soaked Emiratis are happiest when they can just chill with their kin folk out in the desert. It is the Bedouin life. Tending camels from a simple palm frond hut out in the sand waves. The black cording wrapped around the hut are irrigation lines that bleed droplets of water down the interior walls, keeping it damp and about 10 degrees cooler than the bag-sticking outside temp.



That cute little bugger sure tasted good. I used his floppy ear for a taco shell (kidding). Tear off a piece of homemade flat-bread and envelope some tender meat inside. Grab the Goat you Goat Grabbers. Deliciousity ensued. Thank you Goat.



After all was said and done, a generator-powered TV and DVD kit was pulled from the hut out onto the sand. Here, Mr. Mohammad (wealthy Mr. Zayed's man-helper) watches the latest Bollywood crap-o-rama.


Side note: The two bowls next to the TV table were filled with fresh camel's milk. It was rich and frothy and tasted a little sweet.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Common Kestrel and Cape Hare

A Common Kestrel perched up in a date palm tree.



An alert Cape Hare.



Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Ululation








Ululate:
1. to howl, as a dog or a wolf; hoot, as an owl.
2. to utter howling sounds, as in shrill, wordless lamentation; wail.
3. to lament (or celebrate) loudly and shrilly.



The word ululate is new to me. The sound, however, is not. Arabic women are famous for this 'tongue trilling' cry that, if done properly, can friggin' shatter glass. I've heard it a few times over here, mostly on the TV news. Although, one of my male colleagues got really excited one day and let one rip right in class. Bridget also attended an Arabic wedding ceremony last weekend and she said that ladies were ululating into the microphone. She also said that one of her co-teachers sometimes ululates when a student gives a wrong answer in class. Awesome.



ULULULULULULULULULLULULULULUUULULU!!!!!



Monday, June 27, 2011

Parakeets



Arriving at school last week, still half asleep from the painfully long commute out to the desert, I was awakened by a harsh metalllic squawk coming from the trees/rubbish pile in front of the school. Turns out UAE has a sizable population of Rose-ringed Parakeets. These beauties are native to India, but have suprisingly established non-migrating feral populations all over the world (USA, Europe, Middle East). A most welcome sight in the scorched earth drabness of the desert.







Pongin'



Since the kids are now gone and we have 5 weeks to kill before vacation offically begins.....the boys and me built us a sweet pong table. Two small desks, a sheet of plywood and five stacks of vocabulary flashcards = hours of fun. Only 17 days to go before we head home for summer. Yeeeeee Haaaaaawwww! I wanna celebrate Canada's natural beauty by camping my ass off this summer.