Happy Holidays

Hi Room 9,

I just wanted to send you a quick message to wish you all a Happy and Safe Christmas Break.

I too am preparing to go on holiday.  Tomorrow we will travel to Dubai and then go on a four day cruise of the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
We leave Dubai on Monday 16th December sail to Muscat in Oman and then sail from Muscat to Abu Dhabi.

I will be spending some time with Meriana and her friends Te Wairawhiti and Te Waimania.

I will keep you updated via the blog and the school Facebook page and the Room 9 Rockets Facebook page.

Take care, have a safe holiday and I will see you all at the beginning of the new school year.

Lots of love
Charlie
xxx

A Cultural Experience...

What a cool day I've had today (6th December).

I went with Meriana to her School Christmas Party.  We played lots of games, participated in loads of Christmas activities and ate lots of food.
Here are some photos of Meriana, her family and I:

Decorating Cookies

Making a Christmas Tree Decoration

 I didn't quite get a photo with Santa because Meriana was too fast for the camera and when she went back for a photo I was too busy playing with the other children at Sunflower School.

After the Christmas Party, Nana Kim, Grandad Kevin and Matua Peter took me to the Al Qattara Art Centre and a traditional souq (sook), which is an open-air market place.

AL QATTARA ART CENTRE

Me next to the UAE Flag

We saw a traditional Emirati Men's Dance called a Yola.
Here are some photos and a link.  (I hope you can access the link to view the video of the dancing I saw) Yola Dance at Al Qattara Souq

I got to sit in a traditional Arab Tent (Khaimah)

I am having loads of fun and learning a lot of things about the UAE.  We have a trip planned for the zoo here in Al Ain over the next week or so.

I hope you had a great time at Wellington Zoo?

Thanks to Patience, Kyrah and Room 9 Rockets for your questions and comments on my previous post.
When I find out the information about the animals here in the UAE and how they cope with the heat I will write another post about all the interesting animal facts.  Hopefully this is before you finish school for the holidays.

Although I am enjoying my time here and all my new experiences, I miss you all very much.
Time for me to get some sleep.
Until my next post, take care and I will blog again soon.

Love from
Charlie xxx

As salaam wa aleikum from the UAE

Hi Room 9 Rockets,

well where to start?  I left New Zealand on 29th November 2013 for a 2 night stay in Melbourne with some of Nana Kim and Grandad Kevin's family.  I got to meet an uncle an Aunty and a Cousin.
We left Melbourne for Dubai, on 1st December with a stop over in Brunei.  For a flightless bird I have certainly done a lot of flying.  That was a really long trip (18 hours), I was so exhausted when I arrived that I slept in the car all the way to Al Ain.  

This is a photo of Meriana and I when I first arrived at her house, she was so excited to meet me, her mum and dad have been telling her all about me.

I've been really busy since I arrived here in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E).
On the first day (2nd December) I went to Kapa Haka practise.

Kapa Haka Practise in Al Ain

The 2nd December was also the U.A.E's 42nd National Day, so I had to remove my scarf (it was too hot) and I got a Kandura (can Dora) tailor made for me so I could participate in the celebrations.

Me in my Kandura

Here is a brief of what the different parts of the Emirati National Dress are:

UAE National Dress 

Kandura The Kandura, or dishdash, as it is referred to by the expats, is the long white cloak that male UAE Nationals wear. You will be amazed at how these remain crease free during the day - and they never look dirty. During the winter months, a whole realm of different colours come out, with browns and greys not uncommon. Only the traditional white is seen in summer because it reflects the suns rays. 

Guthra The guthra is the headscarf sported by the males. The most popular colours are the plain white, or the red and white checks. These checks are traditional to the Beduin, since the material used was tougher than the other and useful for protection against the elements in the desert. Nowadays, colours come in all types to match with the latest fashion. Also, the way that guthra is worn can define who someone is. 

Egal The Egal is the black rope that fixes the headscarf in place. In days gone by, these would be used by Bedouin to tie their camel's feet down during the night while they were travelling. More of the younger nationals these days do not wear their egal and tie their guthra in a different way on their head. This is called hamdaniya.

On 3rd December, I went with Meriana to her school (Sunflower School) and participated in their National Day celebrations.  Here are some pics of us:

Well, that is a summary of my adventures so far.  Stay tuned for more fun in the desert!!!

Lots of love from Charlie