Gallivanting Grandma

Tuesday – February 13, 2018

Linda left early this morning on a non-stop flight to Houston.  We had a wonderful time sharing rooms, experiences, and exploring Qatar, Oman, and the United Emirates on a Vantage tour.  Morning view from our hotel room:

We had visited all the main tourist destinations in Abu Dhabi so I looked for something different on my last day.  The Women’s Handicraft Centre is a government run initiative for local women to keep Bedouin crafts alive.  Kathleen and I were told the center was difficult to find, so we took a taxi with an adventurous driver and left the hotel.  We were dropped off at the security entrance:

General Women’s Union building:

Kathleen and I greeted the guard at the entrance to the complex and we were directed to the exhibition hall.  The compound is made up of several buildings which also included UNICEF, a children’s day-care center, the museum and handicraft center.

The museum had several displays of traditional life in the desert.  The friendly guide, who was from India, told us he was available to answer any questions.  Then he directed us to the Handicraft Center and instructed us to remove our shoes and ask before taking photos of people.

There were individual tent-like buildings constructed around a covered courtyard.  Kathleen and I entered the first room and were greeted in Arabic by the half-dozen women who sat on cushions along the outside walls.  In front of each woman there was a padded stand with her current project.

Most of the women wore black abayas over colorful dresses and some women wore the traditional mask similar to the woman in the photo above.  The abaya is a sign of privilege more than religion and show a luxury afforded to women who do not have to work.  In a few rooms, some women were lying on the cushions, resting.  The women nodded, smiled, and greeted us, “Marhaba” as we walked around to admire their handiwork.

The woman in the photo above gave me permission to take her photograph before I asked.  She proudly showed off the henna design on her hand.  The women were weaving Telli embroidery which is a form of braiding silk thread around a flat silver or gold thread.  This would later be sewn on sleeves, cuffs, and the bodices of dresses.  Some women showed us their decorated sleeves and cuffs.

A few of the women asked me to take their photos.  They nodded happily and pointed to my camera.  Some women spoke English and one woman said her daughter lived in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The young woman in the picture below made sure to remove her abaya before she posed for the camera.

In one room there were large looms set up to demonstrate Sadu weaving of goat and sheep wool.  Red, black, and white are the traditional Emirati colors seen everywhere on cushions and wall coverings.

We visited several rooms and all the women cheerfully greeted us and were chatting, and laughing and seemed to be enjoying themselves.  They welcomed us and proudly showed off their work.  It was like any group of women anywhere in the world – sitting together, taking about their lives, laughing, sharing experiences….

In another room, the women were weaving thin dyed palm fronds into strips.  This is the traditional Bedouin palm weaving called Khoos.  Later these would be woven together into baskets and large mats.

When we entered this room, I noticed an older woman who wore a bright yellow caftan lying down on the cushion.  She seemed to be sleeping.  Kathleen and I quietly walked around the room while the women demonstrated their weaving.  The sleeping woman, who they called Mama, said something to one of the others and the young woman presented me with a large woven mat.  I was astounded!

The women chatted among themselves and gave Kathleen another mat.  We happily thanked all the women, especially Mama, for their generosity.  We were amazed by their kindness.

The woman in the photo below told us she head learned English in school.  She was very friendly and smiled and laughed easily during our conversation.  She rose from her work to offer us tea and sweet dates.

The last room was filled with cutting tables and several sewing and embroidery machines.  The women didn’t want their photos taken but let us take pictures of their projects.  They made dolls, children’s clothes, and accessories.

We had so much fun meeting and talking with the UAE woman.  During the tour, we had met countless workers from many other countries but very few “locals” because the local people are wealthy and supported by their monarchies.  Kathleen and I were thrilled to finally experience the hospitality and graciousness of the local Emirati women at the Handicraft Centre.  This was definitely a highlight of this trip!

Later as the sun set over Abu Dhabi, Kathleen and I met for dinner.  We decided to walk along the creek to one of the restaurants in the Souq.  We wanted to have our last supper in the UAE outdoors overlooking the water.

But, would you believe?!  Did we have hummus or babaganoush or lamb??  No, we both ordered a burger and fries for our last Abu Dhabi meal!  It was delicious!!!  I guess we’re ready to go home…..

Wednesday – February 14th –  Twelve of us left the hotel at 11pm to board a 2:10am British Airways flight to London.  Seven hours later, I had two more hours at Heathrow to make my connecting flight to JFK and home.  I walked the maze of the British airport, showed my boarding pass several times, and played the security game of dumping fluids and removing metal to pass through their machines.  Then wait at the gate….

The last hurdle was watching the “de-icing” process of the plane through my small window:

Seven hours later I was home!!! What a trip this was!!  Thank you to Linda for suggesting it.  This was a fantastic tour of three amazing Middle Eastern countries.  I was happy to be home and ready to plan my next trip.   Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Monday – February 12, 2018

Our stay in the Middle Eastern city of Abu Dhabi was drawing to an end and these were our last couple of days in the United Arab Emirates.  We had a wonderful time in four amazing cities which far exceeded all our expectations.  By the way, abu dhabi means “father of the gazelle” named after a native species.

Today was a ‘Free Day’ so Linda, Kathleen, and I took a shuttle from the Fairmont Hotel to the center of Abu Dhabi.  It’s a large contemporary city with more than a million people and countless modern skyscrapers.  There’s not a lot to see downtown since the UAE is mainly an oil business country.  We went to the Madinat Zayed Shopping Center for last minute gifts.

The spotlessly clean mall was clearly off tourist maps and obviously catered to locals and “expats.”  We found a large supermarket called LuLu with many shoppers.

There were several shops selling housewares decorated with gold, silver, and lots of bling:

Linda inside a Valentine greeting:

We even found a large department store which sold everything one could imagine for everyone in the family.  Now we know where to buy a “dishdasha” off the rack.

Later in the evening, we all gathered at the St. Regis for our farewell dinner and to celebrate a wonderful tour.  We had coffee and dessert out on the patio overlooking the water.

We said our “goodbyes” to our new-found friends and returned to the Fairmont.  Half the group was flying home early tomorrow morning and the other half will be leaving tomorrow night.

I really enjoyed my stay at the Fairmont: