Tampon Sword!

Tampon applicators are THE weapon in the fight against evil.  My three year old nephew constructed this beautiful sword in no time flat.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen.  This is what can happen when a toddler is extremely quiet for five minutes.  Right in the middle of the living room floor for all to see.  On a separate but related note, I don't think I ever thought I'd use the words "tampon" or "sword" on this blog.  Certainly not in the same post.

Thank you, Libby

Libby is a beautiful, red-headed, six year old girl that is fighting cancer.  She is the best friend of a beautiful, blonde haired, six year old girl named Finley who just happens to be the daughter of my very good friends, Kevin and Shari.

In the last two weeks, Libby has been diagnosed with a Wilm's tumor, has had her kidney (along with the three pound tumor) removed and has had open heart surgery to remove pieces of the tumor that broke off and lodged in her heart.  She came home on Monday and is starting chemo and radiation tomorrow.  In the meantime, Shari decided that Libby needed a coming home parade.  She somehow rallied the neighborhood and with the help of Kevin, spread the word to the news networks to get everyone out there less than 24 hours later.  Libby's entire school and many of the parents turned out to cheer Libby on.  You can read the story and see the video from the Dallas Morning News here.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the event.  I decided to take my camera along in case everyone else was too busy watching the parade to document it.  Here are just a few of the photos:

Little did I know that by bringing my camera, I would touch the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people when the pictures were shared with the world on facebook.  Telling Libby's story and spreading the love that everyone has for her can only lead to great things.  I hope that everyone who sees my pics decides to help someone in need, donate a little to their favorite charity or even just hug their kids a little tighter.

I never considered that I could do good with my pictures.  I always thought I was too amateur and too inexperienced to do something great.  Thank you, Libby, for helping me find a way to help others.  Even if I never do another thing with my photography, I can be happy knowing that I helped someone, somewhere by sharing Libby's story.

Camera Play

Sometimes I just like to take random pictures to play with my camera.  The more I play, the more I learn.  Here are a couple of random shots from this morning.

It might be time to clean the awning poles.

Oz taunts the dog next door.

After The Storm

It was a wild ride in DFW yesterday.  We had (roughly) 12 tornadoes blow through the metroplex between noon and dusk.  There were several that were level EF-1 and an EF-3 hit in Forney.  I wasn't close enough to any of the major weather to get any pics.  Nor would I have been crazy enough to stand outside with a tornado bearing down on me.  I did get a couple of sky pics after the storm, though.

Closer to Home

If only I was a true jet-setter and traveled more than a couple of times a year.  Alas, I have to sometimes be content with taking pictures right here in the heart of Texas.  My favorite shots generally involve the weather.  There's an old saying out here:  "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait three hours.  It will change."  That is absolutely true.  We can go from bright and sunny to hail and tornadoes in the span of an hour.  With our wide open spaces, there are some truly unique photography opportunities that people in larger cities just don't get.  Here are a couple of shots that I took while standing on my patio furniture this evening.  Don't tell my husband.  He knows my propensity for clumsiness and would surely tell me to wear a harness or something.

  

Gas Prices...GAH!

When I went to Oman earlier this month, it cost me about $1,400 USD to get all the way from Dallas to Salalah.  I just checked the prices for July, and it's gone up to about $2,100 USD.  I understand supply and demand.  People are crying "Oooh!  We can't use Iran's oil!  Scary, scary!"  Guess what, people.  The U.S. hasn't used Iran's oil in ages.  We buy elsewhere and a shortage from Iran doesn't affect us in the slightest.  Does that matter?  Nope!  An empty threat = jacked up gas prices = excessive surcharges on flights.  Not that the airlines are blameless.  The "taxes and surcharges" for the flight overseas are generally more than the cost of the ticket itself.  Don't get me started on baggage fees.  I'm now the world's best carry-on packer.

These oil speculators are the worst manner of "the sky is falling" people I've ever seen.  I wonder if these are the same people that are featured in the NatGeo Doomsday Preppers series.  I watch because I am fascinated at the level of paranoia that feeds this mentality.  Is it good to keep a little extra water and food around the house in case of an extended power outage?  Sure.  Do I need a years worth?  Probably not.  I'd be dead from the Texas heat and the whining children before I made it that long.  Actually, I hope to be living overseas by then.  That might be the best way to avoid the end-of-the-world crazies.

Salalah in Review

I'm back.  Damn jet lag.

When I think of the Middle East, I think of sand, sand and more sand.  Sand in your shoes, sand in your hair and sand invading every nook and cranny of yourself and everything you own.  I was half wrong.  Luckily, I missed the sandstorm by a day (this post might be a totally different one if I hadn't) but there was a lot more rock and a lot less sand than I envisioned.  Most of my pictures look more like Hawaii than the Middle East.

I mean, really.  When you picture the Middle East, is this what you think of?

No?  Well, what about this?

Or this?

Ok, maybe that last one is a little closer to what I expected.  Camels!  It's hard not to oooh and ahhh over them.  They are EVERYWHERE.  My husband laughed at me because every time we passed one, I made him slow down for me to look and take pictures.  He sees them every single day, so they're no big deal for him.

On to the people of Salalah.  I'm convinced that there is not a nicer, more polite or more generous group of people on the planet.  I was, for the most part, completely at ease while I was over there.  Everyone went out of their way to make sure that I was comfortable and had everything I could possibly need.  I did at one point have to walk into Lulu's (picture a four story Target) by myself to use the ladies room.  That was rather like running the gauntlet of fascinated stares.  I also got more than a few curious looks when we went to the souk (local market) to have falafel and shawarma.  Apparently, women don't often frequent that place and western women are even less likely to go there.  I did have to giggle at the children.  A blonde haired, green eyed woman from Texas is a bit of a novelty in those parts.  Every one of them went bug-eyed and their jaws dropped when I walked by.  When I smiled at them, they grinned from ear to ear.  It was adorable.

The greatest difference that I noticed between the people of Salalah and here at home was the consideration given to guests.  We happened to be there for St. Patrick's Day.  The bar at our hotel had a nice sized bash and we sat on the patio smoking shisha (apple flavor... mmmmm) and having a beer.  A very happy, very drunk Omani man was making the rounds of the bar and singing to just about everyone he met.  It was pretty obvious that he'd had a six pack too many at this point, but he was just as happy as he could be.  He eventually camped out next to our table.  After watching him sing, dance and talk for about 20 minutes, two men (the closest explanation I can give is that they were like bouncers at a club) came over, grabbed him by the arm and proceeded to escort him out of the bar.  Muslims don't normally drink, and being drunk in public is an especially big no-no for them.  While a bouncer throwing someone out of a bar is not all that unusual, what they did afterwards shocked me.  They both came back to our table and apologized to my husband and our friend for the behavior of the man and thanked them for their tolerance.  I was floored.  Can you imagine a bouncer at a Dallas club going out of his way to apologize to and thank someone that was being entertained by a drunk guy?  On that note, you'll notice that I didn't say they apologized to me.  This is a cultural thing.  They could see that I was there with my husband and it's considered impolite to address a man's wife without permission and a formal introduction.  It wasn't a slight on me, but a courtesy to my husband.  We are considered two halves of the same whole, so speaking to one is speaking to both, albeit indirectly.  It's kind of a difficult distinction to get when you haven't experienced it first hand.  It's certainly not the way it's done in the states.  But, for my fairly socially-shy self, it actually puts me more at ease to have them address him instead of speaking directly to me.

Finally, the laid back time schedule and atmosphere of Salalah is incredibly relaxing.  Businesses are generally open from 9 to 1 and again from 4 to 10.  The hours in the middle are your own and people typically go home to spend time with their families.  There is no rush in Salalah.  Everything is "In Shaa' Allah" which loosely translates to "God Willing."  You might tell someone that you will meet them at 4:00 In Shaa' Allah.  In reality, you get there when you get there and no one is offended if you are late.  You can spend hours enjoying a meal or a hookah.  No one drops off the check "for your convenience" or tries to turn the table so that they can get another tip. In fact, there is no tipping that I saw.  Your water and wine glasses are always full.  You ask for the check when you are ready for it and you don't get glared at for lingering.  In fact, I think you might shock the waiter if you asked for it too soon.  Closing time is pretty much whenever the last people leave.  I loved it.  It was very refreshing and very different from the rat race we have here.

I wasn't ready to leave.  In fact, I'm ready to move there.  In Shaa' Allah.

We've Got Camels

I just got back from my vacation in Salalah, Oman.  It was absolutely breathtaking and I'm already planning another trip.  Here are a few of the promised camel pics.  I'll write more about my experiences once I recover from the jet lag.  :::yawn:::

Call This A Delayed Post

I went to Dubai last year to visit my OCONUS husband.  I'd like to say that I was smart enough to start my travel / photog blog way back then, but I wasn't.

So, here's what I learned:

• The Middle East is not nearly as scary as the US media would have you believe and they're not all out to get us.
• The women that I met do not seem at all repressed or abused.  Yes, they wear an abaya, but not because they are forced to by their crazy husbands.  They wear it because their religious beliefs require it.  Just like your religious beliefs might require that you not dress like Lindsey Lohan when you go to church.  There's really no difference.
• If I could wear an abaya, I would.  They are absolutely gorgeous.  I also think I might be totally liberated and free to be me if I didn't have to worry about how fat I look in the ridiculous fashions we wear in the west.
• Dubai is very modern and (with the exception of the incredible heat) it is similar to any major city in the US.   This is the view from the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa.

• The malls are insane.  1200+ stores.  We went there 3 or 4 times and I'm pretty sure we still didn't see it all.  Here is a very, very small piece of The Dubai Mall.

• The camels are adorable.  I wish I had my camera out when we saw them walking down the trails next to the freeway.  Next time, I'll be prepared.  In the mean time, here's a nice camel sculpture pic from the mall.

• Everything you've read about the madness of driving in Dubai is true.  It was easier to close my eyes while my husband drove than to keep slamming my hands into the dash and my feet into the floor.  I have an international driver's license.  I sincerely hope I never have cause to use it over there.
• The hookah might be the greatest invention ever.  The Double Apple flavor tobacco is like inhaling dessert without the calories.  I've never been a smoker, so I was reluctant to try the hookah, but I'm so happy I did.  I envy my husband getting to enjoy one whenever he wants.

I wish that every American could travel to the Middle East at least once in their lifetime.  I didn't realize how truly biased the US media machine really was until I saw the place with my own eyes.  I'm heading back over there in two days.  This time we are going to Oman.  I promise that I'll remember to post about my adventures after this trip.  There WILL be camel pics.

Learn From Your Mistakes

I've been overseas once before when we vacationed in Dubai last year.  That week leading up to that trip was an anxious one for me.  I had never traveled overseas (and barely out of Texas), never been on a long-haul flight, never traveled alone, never dealt with customs.  The list of things I had never done was endless.  This time, my only anxiety involves the airport transfers.  One layover in Dubai and one in Muscat.  Last year was a direct flight with my dear husband waiting at the end.  This time it's a day and a half of travel and navigating multiple flights on my own.  I'm a big girl.  I can do it.  That doesn't mean I haven't had a few nightmares about it though.

For any first time overseas travelers out there, I've learned a few things:

• Don't bother with nice clothes on the plane.  You're going to look like you've been on a 3-day bender when you arrive regardless of how nice you looked when you got on the flight.
• Don't bother with make-up.  At best, you'll look like a raccoon by the eighth hour.  If you must have on make-up on arrival, bring a small mirror and put it on before you land.
• Sleeping in economy sucks.  Last time, I winged it and brought nothing but a book.  I slept exactly zero minutes on the 16 hour flight.  This time I'm loaded down with a neck pillow, comfy eye mask (lightly spritzed with lavender), soft socks, a sports bra, my own blanket and my Nook.
• Go for the aisle seat.  If you can swing having an empty seat next to you, all the better.  Some people swear by the window seat because they can lean against it.  I tried it both ways and HATED the window seat.  I felt even more squashed than economy already made me and felt bad about waking up the two nice men (how the hell did they sleep the whole way?) to go to the bathroom.
• Drink water.  Pick up a couple of bottles after you go through security and get more water when the drink cart comes by.  When you think you have drank enough, drink another bottle.  The dry air in the plane is a killer.  This is another good reason to pick the aisle seat.  Extra water equals extra trips to the bathroom.
• Bring snacks.  The food leaves much to be desired and is rarely served when you are actually hungry.  I also bring some hard candies to suck on when my mouth feels like the Sahara.
• Bring some baby wipes.  Use them to wipe down your arms and face when you start to feel grungy.  You will feel grungy.  I promise.
• Noise canceling headphones are a must.  Cheap ones work fine.  The roar of the engines is louder than you think and not at all conducive to relaxing or being able to hear the in-seat entertainment system.  The headphones they hand out on the flight are worse than the ones that come with a Fisher Price cassette recorder.
• Don't look at the time.  You don't want to know how many hours are left.  It only adds to the anxiety and the feeling that your are on an endless plane ride to nowhere.
• Smile at the flight attendants.  One smile goes a long way towards making it a pleasant flight for yourself.

All in all, a long haul flight is far from fun, but it is tolerable.  You can make it more tolerable if you just sit back, turn on the in-seat movie and pretend you're in a movie theater.  One that's hurtling through the atmosphere at 600 mph.