Bringing Rice Crispy Treats to the UAE

So work has been stressful lately for many of my coworkers and I felt it was time that I did something about it. I made rice crispy treats and walked around giving them to everyone. They really needed some cheering up. I was surprised to learn that they weren't very popular here and I had to explain to many what they were. I got recipe requests which made me giggle. I was told what an amazing cook I was. I laughed so hard and proceeded to tell them how difficult they are to make. I later gave in and shared the three ingredient recipe (if us Americans would even call it a recipe as I imagine most have it memorized). I knew I was in the UAE for a reason...to make one more rice crispy treat fan every day! :)

As an FYI, I can't buy pork ingredients at just any grocery store. I must shop at Spinney's where the Non-Muslim Room (Pork room as I like to call it) is located. It is a cooled room tucked in the back of the store. There are many items that you never even knew contained pork products. Pop-tarts and Marshmallows to name a few. I was aaware of this when I made the treats and because I shared them with my Muslim coworkers, I made sure the marshmallows were hilal (Pork free).

So my theory is that because most marshmallows have pork lard in them, rice crispy treats never gained the popularity that they did in the States...

Call to prayer

If you have ever been to an Islamic Country you have probably heard it. Abu Dhabi is no different. All the minarets on Mosques have loud speakers installed and the calls can be heard almost everywhere in the city. With modern day technology, many Muslims have the Call to Prayer app installed on their iPhones. The 5 calls a day brings to mind the Islamic beliefs to both believers and non-believers alike.

My apartment is located very close to a Mosque so I've been fortunate to experience and observe the prayer times. On the other hand, I'm currently experiencing them at 5:45a, 12:28p, 3:28p, 5:48p, 7:17p. So it wakes me up from my sleep every morning and then wakes me from my noon nap, my 3:00 nap, my 5:00 nap and then my 7:00 nap. Grrr. It really is putting a damper on me being lazy! :) The calls last about 5 minutes with the exception of the big prayer on Friday at noon.

When I first arrived in the summer, the first call happenned at 4:20! It was tough to adjust (especially when jet lagged) but I've finally found myself sleeping thought the first call of the day.
Something happenned this morning though. It sounded like someone was listening to Shania Twain and accidently broadcasted to the City of Abu Dhabi. It wasn't right so it woke me and I sat up and looked around. It sounded like someone set their alarm and the radio had started blasting. It only lasted about 10 seconds before it stopped abruptly. I'm not sure who made the broadcasting error but the original call soon followed. If you are curious about what the call sounds like listen to the following...

Yusuf Islam - Call To Prayer Powered by abmp3 search engine

And this is what they are saying in Arabic followed by the translation to English

Allahu Akbar
Ash-had an la ilaha illa llah
Ash-hadu anna Muħammadan rasulullah Hayya 'ala-salahh
Hayya 'ala 'l-falah
As-salatu khayru min an-nawm
Allāhu akbar
La ilaha illallah

Allah is the greatest
I testify that there is no God except for Allah
I testify that Muhammad is a Messenger of Allah
Come to prayer
Come to worship
Prayer is better than sleep
Allah is the greatest
There is no God except for Allah

So I'm not too sure what happenned this morning but I'll take the original call over the country crap I heard this morning! ;)

Christmas in Abu Dhabi

This Christmas was definately a little different than any other Christmas that I've celebrated. All I could do is make the most of it. Beleive it or not, they have Santas, Christmas Trees and Christmas Lights in Abu Dhabi despite the strong Islamic faith. They even have the most expensive Christmas Tree in the world at the Emirates Palace Hotel. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101215/lf_afp/uaehotelchristmasoffbeat

While I visited the hotel, I managed to snap a shot of a vending machine. It's not your ordinary vending machine however and you won't find any candy bars. Gold bars is what you can buy and you can't buy them with a dollar. Where is my dad when I need him the most. ;) http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20005010-1.html

As great as all these once in a lifetime experiences were, I missed my family a lot more and will make every attempt to make it home for the holidays next year.