Snapshots of Rome

Internet access has been difficult, we are now in Paris after 3 days in Rome and the last 2 and a half days staying at Paris Disneyland. I promise to upload more photo's and write more once we get home but in the meantime I have put together a few happy snaps x

Starting from the top from left to right:

1. Colosseum

2 & 3. Trevi Fountain

4. Lane way

5. Typical street

6. Pantheon

7. Spanish steps

8. Colosseum

9. Top of the Spanish steps

So why have I been complaining about cannons?

Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting from dawn until sunset from eating, drinking and sexual relations. Ramadan lasts 30 days and its beginning depends on the sighting of the crescent moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar.

Ramadan was announced here on Thursday and declared with cannon fire..... in the park next to our house at 11pm at night. I cannot even begin to describe how loud it was or how high I jumped. They then proceeded to fire at 5:30am to announce the beginning of the days fasting and again just after 7pm to declare the days fasting over and the beginning of Iftar.

Thankfully the morning cannon fire has stopped and they are now only firing in the evening. Who would of thought my little family would get used to cannon fire!

Although we are not muslim we must abide by the rules of Ramadan. Here are few quick lessons we have had to learn and how we are coping so far.

1. We must abide by the laws and have to fast between dawn and sunset. This means no food, water, chewing gum or cigarettes in public (we try not to engage in sexual relations in public so no change there)

2. We are allowed to eat just not in public. In our home is fine, as long as we are not publicly visible. Most restaurants, mall food courts etc close down. Some cafes and restaurants do open in the day but with blacked out windows for non-muslims. However these are not as easily found as we were first led to believe. Basically we have to plan everything because food and drink is just not available. Last weekend we found a McDonalds that was open when were out and then had to hide in the car to eat it whilst frantically looking over our shoulder..... not fun at all and so very awkward.

Piper is allowed to eat and drink, children and pregnant women are excluded.

3. Basically home is our prison. It is extremely hot at the moment with daily temperatures ranging on average from 42 – 49 degrees. So you can imagine how limited our activities are going to be during the daytime without being able to consume liquids in public.

4. We use indoor play centres a lot due to the extreme heat. Unfortunately these are also affected by Ramadan and have adopted new opening times for the 30 days – our fave play centre will be opening between 8pm and 2am.... WTF???

5. Shorter working days hooray!! By law all employees in the UAE are only allowed to work 6 hour days during fasting. My office is going with the 8am – 2pm rule! Which sounded great in the beginning but the reality is I cannot get my work done in this time and end up working from home in the afternoons.

6. A lot of expats take overseas holidays during Ramadan. We are no exception and have planned to skip out on part of Ramadan and get a break from the heat. We will be away for two weeks. I have to go to Rome for a few days work so we are all going and then onto France.

7. No music or dancing is allowed during Ramadan – this includes in your home or car so we have to curb the wild parties for awhile. Not sure how this will go down with Miss O who thinks life is one big musical and insists on dancing, singing and performing everywhere we go. All night clubs and most bars outside of tourist areas close during Ramadan.

8. Most retail stores open after 4pm during Ramadan if at all outside of tourist areas. For those that do open during the day you can expect to be served by dehydrated hypoglycemic staff which will ensure Dubai’s already horrific levels of customer service will reach all time lows.

9. Iftar celebrations – Iftar is the first meal after the fast is broken daily and is a nightly celebration. A lot of restaurants have great prices and fabulous packages. If you are very lucky you may be invited into a local Arabic home to share Iftar. For the most part of life here expats and locals rarely mingle.

So that is my take on Ramadan. Basically 5 days in we are bored out of our brains.

Hopefully when we return from our holiday we can participate in some Iftar celebrations and enjoy the culture. But for now I cannot wait to get on that plane.

I will try and blog over the next two weeks but France is not known for it's wifi access. We are heading to Rome for three days (I am working) and then onto France. Paris Disneyland for a couple of nights (not sure who is more excited about that one, Piper or Naz). Then staying in Paris itself for a couple of nights before we pick-up our motor home and begin our road trip through northern France (first stop Champagne) then up to Luxembourg, Belgium and back down through France.

Life Lately in Happy Snaps

From left to right starting from the top:

1. Rocking it out to old school Kylie with Mum

2. Happy Lily (we have finally found a great dog beach just out of town)

3. Sandstorm last Tuesday, the building disappearing is the Burj Khalifa, it also poured with rain for about 5 minutes, the most rain we have seen in 10 months. Temperatures at the moment are averaging between 42 and 48 every day

4. Example of Dubai's dedication to wasting money. This sign etched in metal and professionally erected is a direct result of Lily's love of swimming in the pond. Crazy dog hating country, honestly have a look at the pond, she was not harming a fly

5. Beach fun - unfortunately beach weather is now over until winter, it is far too hot and the water is bath water warm and not in the slightest bit refreshing

6. Our little model and poser, this was taken today. For her birthday we spent the day at KidZania and she played her little heart out

7. Last photo ever taken of Piper with her dummy (or yodgee as she calls it), two weeks ago she decided she was grown-up and threw it down the rubbish chute and has not asked for it once since. The only tears were from me, I am pathetic I know

8. Atlantis Hotel at the end of the Palm

9. Happy 3rd Birthday Piper!! Taken tonight, we celebrated with Magnolia Bakery cupcakes from Bloomingdales

The Birthday Party

Apologies to everybody who has been harassing me to put up photo's of Piper's birthday party, given her party was held two weeks before her birthday these photo's aren't technically late.

Luckily we have a community hall within our building available for free use by residents so we were able to have a birthday party at home but without the mess and hassle.
Also because of the heat now it is impossible to play outside so this gave the kids enough space to run crazy with out destroying my house.

Piper had a fabulous day at her princess party as you will see below:

Pom poms I made earlier in the week

Birthday girl with her Princess Castle birthday cake (a little easier to make this year than the past two years I have to admit)

Party game fun!

I always felt bad she had a winter birthday in Australia, now over here it might be too hot but this birthday has been drawn out over two weeks so it has it's advantages.