Sri Lanka So Far

We wanted family time...

we got time not only with the Bromley clan but the Camilleris too.

We wanted greenery and water...

we got the most beautiful hotel with lakes and an infinity pool. We wanted exotic animals...

we got cobras and pythons.

We wanted a taste of culture...

we got a taste of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianty, and Islam.

I have tried to do far more with this blog, but apparently, the Sri Lankan computer gods have cursed me. In a nutshell, we are having the time of our lives. Sri Lanka is green, lush, wet, and surprisingly clean. We are on day 4. We are on top of a mountain in Kandy and having an exceptional time. I don't miss the desert one bit.

I promise more to come....

Guess Who Came For Dinner

Grandma and Grandpa arrived last night.  The children cannot contain their excitement.  They definitely couldn't let them sleep past the butt crack of dawn.  What adult sleeps past 6am?  No one they know. Ugh.  

We are off to Sri Lanka tomorrow morning.  I am not sure when I will be near a computer and to be truthful, I will choose the beach over the computer every time.  

Till next time...

Dhow Cruising

Our Mormon neighbors decided to plan a dhow excursion on the Gulf for Eid.  It was really great but it ended up being the 'savvy dance to keep children from falling overboard'. 

Dancing and funny faces keep children aboard.  
Fancy lights and cool breezes keep children aboard.

Best friends to chat with keep children on board.

Blankies and scary stories keep children aboard.

Strong mommies and daddies keep babies on board.

The man who wrote this, um, maybe not.  

The Bert Syndrome

Axel's love for birds always excluded pigeons. He would read books about crazy looking chickens during his lunch breaks, but pigeons never intrigued him. It wasn't until he visited the Doha Souq that Axel felt differently.

Now guess what Axel wants for Christmas?

Doha Zoo

Me, disobeying the one Cardinal Rule of all Zoos

Qatar doesn't have much to offer as far as entertainment for kids. It is not Dubai--no fake ski hills, no shark tank waterslide, and no venetian canals. Doha has other things to offer (or so I am told), but a plethra of activities for children is not one of them.

However, we were able to find one thing that could fill a Saturday morning--The Zoo. The weather has been unbearable up to this point so we have avoided this activity thus far. But the minute there was a breeze, we took our kids and two neighbor kids to check it out. It is a far cry from San Diego, but it does have its charms. For instance:

1. Grass. This is worth the trip alone. It feels like a tropical paradise compared to what is outside the gates. Look, when you struggle to keep your 2 by 2 foot patch of grass in your front yard alive, this much greenery seems like the Garden of Eden.

2. Birds. I realized how I have never heard a bird sing since we left Nepal. No trees=No happy chirping. After living at our Nepali aviary, my heart missed waking to the song of birds. It was a painful reminder of how few birds can actually endure the blasted heat of Qatar.

3. Oryx. The one wild animal in all of Qatar can ben seen here. Otherwise, you don't stand a chance of seeing any wild animals in this sandpit. It is too bad they have been hunted to almost extinction because they are beautiful animals.

4. Relaxed Atmosphere. The only other option to fill your weekend is to visit a mall. The malls are crowed and loud. This is the one place that you don't have to see stinky money everywhere. It also takes me away from all those insane Land Cruiser drivers. We loved the solidarity and peaceful atmosphere. It is hard to find in these parts.

Ever since we discovered the zoo, I have been back 3 times. It also has a fantastic playground that rarely requires sharing. I love not sharing.

I am ready to camp out there for the week, or month, or at least until I can no longer sleep outside because of the heat. The heat is going to creep up on me quickly and when it does, I will end up spending time at the stinky mall with the stinky money. I would much rather be with the stinky animals.

New Moon- Why Should I Care?

As a celebration of Sarita's arrival Axel and I went to see New Moon.  I was hesitant to even go, but Axel insisted.  Yes women, my husband dragged me to a Twilight movie.  

Let's talk about the Twilight series, shall we?  

I have read 3 of the Twilight books because I felt my church membership was in question if I didn't do so.  The first one?  Fine.  Okay.  Not so terrible I want to poke my eyes out and slightly entertaining.  But the book did leave me with tons of questions.  I read the second book thinking it would surely answer all those questions, but no dice.  By the third book I spent 3 hours skimming from cover to cover looking for those answer and still never found them.  I gave up.  

Maybe I am missing something.  Maybe I didn't read with such intensity and therefore I missed the point.  If you have the answers to these questions I beg of you to tell me.  

1.  Why is it so horrifying if Bella turns to the dark side?  Forgive me, but doesn't Edward's life seem just fine?  The guy is forever young.  He is handsome, and never has to study for an exam.  The downside is not clear to me.  What makes me want to yell, 'Bella, don't do it!'?  Is it because she will have to live forever? 'Cause that doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world. Or maybe it is, but I don't have a clear idea of why that would entirely suck.  Is it because she can't have kids? You know, the whole purpose for our existence and the end of her genetic imprint forever.  Stephanie Meyer has not fully developed this point and therefore, why do I care?

2. Is it just me or is the angst so unbearable one cannot sit comfortably during the entire film/book.   I have angst about their angst.  It doesn't stop until you finally close the book or walk out of the theater.  My problem is if I don't quite understand the basis of this angst (see Question 1), I can't look past the drama and overacting.  I am just expecting there to be a scene about Bella's internal conflict of what color of socks she should wear.  Honestly, why do I care?

3. Why does Edward and Jacob care about Bella?  I cannot be convinced that it is her gorgeous looks or dynamic personality.  She appears to be average in every way.  For two apparently 'hot' guys I don't get the appeal.  I am not convinced it is her unsatiable blood.  I mean, come on, find another O positive and move on. Plus, women, wouldn't you be a little offended if a guy only loved you for your circulatory system? What is the relationship based on anyways?  I am not sure why I care about her let alone two super fine guys.  I mean, it isn't like she fought off Voldemort or something like that.  

4. Why would Meyer try to integrate a social act such as marriage into a vampire world?  Do you really think vampires care about the sacred act of marriage?  Isn't marriage of God and vampirism of the Devil?  Why mix the two?  I am either buying the real world or the vampire world, not both.  

5.  Why is the only rule with the vampires that they can't show themselves?  Edward wanted to commit suicide by showing his diamond glowing skin off to a crowd of people.  Apparently that was a sure fire way of getting the book thrown at him and getting his head ripped off.  But then five minutes later we see 25 unsuspecting American tourists being led to their deaths.  What, glowing skin will reveal to the world that vampires exist, but 25 ripped apart American tourists is going to pass by CNN at a time when the biggest story is two party crashers at a presidential party?  Hmmm.  Pass me another glass of milk.  That one is hard to swallow.

Maybe there is a clear, defined, explanation for all of these points and I just missed it because I did not read with vigor or vim.  Am I alone in thinking this is not a literary masterpiece or even fun to read?  It isn't simply because Sci Fi isn't my first choice of books, because in the past, I have been sucked into the world of Captain Kirk and Terminating Robots.  If the storyline is tight, I can be swayed.  The problem with this book is not 'Vampires' per ce, it is just there appears to be too many holes and I am bothered by the undeveloped pieces of the plot.

I know I am a living, breathing, middle aged woman and that is why I am so confused.  Shouldn't I LOVE this book?  Shouldn't I be talking about what 'team' I am rooting for?  Shouldn't I be lusting after those boys portrayed in the book?  Why do I not have passion for this book?  Where is this passion rooted in all these women?  Because I can't find it.    

So, please, for the lazy reader here, tell me why I care.  

She's Here....

Christmas came early for me.

She is here. She is hammered. She is relieved, and full of stories.

We could not be happier. It has been a long time coming.