Boat Ride and Food

January 2011 and what to do on a rainy and cool winter's day in Abu Dhabi...
Why take a ride on a boat, of course! A group of administrators and physicians from Mafraq Hospital were scheduled to take a boat cruise last weekend. Rainy, windy and very cool for Abu Dhabi was the weather of the day. Now this is NOT a complaint, merely an observation. We started out on the covered top deck of the boat (it was larger than these, as these are the traditional fishing dhows so common in the area). Lovely fruit juices were served and we had conversation while we waited for the lost member of the group to find his way to Mina Port. One of the physicians also lives in Sas Al Nakhl Village; we recognized her children from the pool.

This was the appetizer and by far the best part of the meal. It was all chilled seafood and beautifully presented. We both finished every morsel.

Fruit and pastries were dessert. What about the entree you might ask... Well, let's just say that we skipped over the entree on purpose. Not sure if it was only so-so because of the 1 hour wait for the lost physician or maybe it just started out that way.

Anyway, fresh fruit is very common for dessert here and we both enjoyed it. But the pastries,

were gorgeous. Christine tried all 4 kinds (well, it was dessert!) and she pronounced the winner to be the third from the front with pistachio topping and chocolate. The pastries feature an almost jello type of filling as opposed to icing - refreshing.

But the winner for the entire week was what Scott brought home from work. This is a tray of nearly 200 Patchi chocolates, "Danger Will Robinson, Danger!!!" Scott had done a nice turn for a colleague and was rewarded with this! We walked around if for 3 days before Christine couldn't stand it any longer (was it those glasses of wine before dinner). The cellophane covering and several candy wrappers were history! Next evening we pulled this beautiful arrangement apart, eating as we went. The wrappers were hot glued to a piece of styrofoam underneath (thank goodness for that). A huge tupperware container on the top shelf of the kitchen is now their home and yesterday we managed to ignore it completely. But as Scarlett O'hara says "tomorrow is another day."

Winter in Abu Dhabi is overcast and cooler. It has rained off and on the past three weeks and several times we walked and swam in the rain. The only day it was awful was the day we took the boat cruise (naturally!). Cooler mornings are perfect for walking and Christine has been out every day. Liz Crossen joins her several times each week and they do set a brisk pace. Scott is just as dedicated to his swimming program. Several days each week he will do a longer session or different strokes. Weekends are nice for our activities because we meet up at the pool and enjoy the sunshine, except for those rainy weekends.

Our lives have settled into a familiar pattern of Scott cooking and Christine keeping up with the laundry and housekeeping. We continue to meet new folks in the compound. We take joy in being together and in saving toward retirement. Go 5-Year Plan!

In closing, we send love to our family and friends and would be remiss should we not pay homage to our childhoods in the Pittsburgh area with a rousing --

GO STEELERS!

Christine & Scott