Sunday, July 21, 2013

Landed in Durban!

This is The Moon over Durban.

No matter where we are on this earth one of the constants is The Moon. Our moon...we can all, Americans, South Africans, Arabs, Europeans, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sufis.... look up at the sky and send a wish or say a prayer or comment in awe over life itself and feel The Moon is our very own while it belongs to us all. It is your moon and it is my moon and tonight it is full over Durban.

Before we got here our day started in Dubai. I had a number of chuckles this morning over a few cultural issues. One may or may not be appropriate but I do know of bidets and I have traveled to Japan which has the most exquisite toilets but this one puzzles me. Next to the traditional toilet on the floor next to the wall and corner is a drain and above rests a hand held water source sprayer. This is also next to the bathtub. Now I can understand this could be used for intimate personal hygene but I don't quite get it. It is its figuration. There is no room to stand there and if you do do some type of cleansing it would be on the floor and if you had clothes on you would end up all wet.....I can not quite figure it out....do you get it? And the phone.....ready to be lifted in case of an emergency....what type of emergency might that be???? I chuckled all morning pondering this....still, can not figure it out....

Another interesting thing and an attempt to be international was at breakfast where canned baked beans were offered....Baked Beans? Boston Baked Beans? For Breakfast? Right next to the pancakes? Is this for good luck, or??? Does this look appetizing to you my American friends because I think they had you in mind......


Also as we gathered our things to go to the airport we watched a little TV about the Toys for Big Boys conference recently held in Dubai with gold plated IPhones and computers and cars and other most ridiculous things.... And then as we were driving in a van load of travelers to the Dubai airport I had a thought....could there possibly be "thrift stores" in Dubai? What the heck, what would a good old garage sale be like at one of those palaces?...I wanted to stop the van, turn around and search the internet for The Salvation Army, Dubai or could there be a Goodwill or a Cancer Society Bargain Box? Oh My, my mouth was watering....imagine the deals....but, it was only a thought....it will have to be next time. I can not miss my plane. Bad timing Robin and what were you thinking? You look everywhere for thrift stores, it is your archeological study of culture....and you forgot about Dubai? So, hey Anna, when you get here.....don't forget the Thrift Stores!!!!!They have to be amazing!

And so before the van ride I needed a little something to remember this Arabian place and I found something so fun...my Aladin's Lamp to grant all of my wishes....first wish.....that we are all safe during this trip to a far off place....and second....that again.....Anna's dreams come true.....she wins gold, does well at the Games and completes this journey with great satisfaction and success......and third, that all of you are well and happy and life is filled with gold and riches, and good friends and dreams come true....it is so wonderful to have such a powerful toy....my imagination, better than any of those "Big Boy Toys" sold at the Dubai conference....

My Dubai Treasures

I have a feeling that I will be rubbing he sides of this magical lamp more than once on this trip....

And back to that moon over Durban. As we landed the sun was beginning to set a little after 5 and by 6 it was dark. It is winter here. We are in the Southern Hemisphere for heavens sake....so very far away....so since it was so dark I think I will wait until tomorrow to report on this place. I just know that I can tell I am in Africa, it just feels like that, and it smells like that, it is that "Out of Africa" sense we all have......so more tomorrow when I can see it in daylight.

2 comments:

  1. Glad you got there! Baked beans are an english thing to have for breakfast. Put them on some toast. Its good. :)

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    1. So, this morning I realized my ignorance...it is an English thing...was at our English breakfast this morning...

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