Eid Holidays

Hi Guys:

Sam and I are reporting in from RAK. We are on week 6, with no school opening in sight, as of yet. Ramadan will be over next Wednesday, and boy, am I ready. First, it is not so safe to drive now from about 5 to 6:30 in the evening, as everyone is rushing home for Iftar, the breaking of the fast. Second, it is very, very hard to get things done this month. I continue to not have internet because the people at Etisalat, the phone company here, all go home by 1 p.m. each day, so there is some kind of huge backlog of people waiting. I am one of many. My friend Tara asked me in an email if I am becoming less American in my approach to this experience. In this one way I am. I will get internet at home when I get it, and not before, so I have stopped stressing out about it. I just go up to the hotel, or over to a friend's, and use internet when I have the opportunity.

Yesterday everyone in my group went on a desert safari for Iftar. We woke up that morning and Sam had a bad cold, so I bowed out. I felt bad when everyone came back and said what fun they'd had, but sometimes you just have to miss stuff. Sam feels better today. We are on Eid holiday, which signifies the end of Ramadan. Sam is out of school for a week and two weekends. I am not expected to go into the office. It is sort of like a fall break. I am trying to save money, so we didn't plan any exotic holiday. Bethany and Sam and I are going to go up to Oman for two nights and two days to visit Musandam, which is the town at the northern tip of this peninsula on which we live.

Sam is relieved to have a few days off. He has a truly daunting package of homework for the holidays. There are twelve sheets, many having to do with writing in cursive, or double-digit addition, or multiplication. Right now they are working on the three times tables. It is weird. It is like I am tutoring him at home because he skipped a grade. That is what it feels like. The work is WAY, way harder. I want to get to the bottom of this. Is this because the British Curriculum is that much harder than ours, or is this the result of Sam going to a private school, where expat and local kids are challenged more because they come from monied parents who push their kids harder and expect more? In any case, I try to help Sam understand complicated addition and multiplication by setting up long lines of uncooked spaghetti shells. Bethany has tutored him in her flat as well, but she indulged him more, and allowed him to "flick" the noodles after he counted them, which was extremely satisfying to Sam. When Sam has finished three pages of homework, the most he can possibly hack in one day, I give him money for cake, and off he goes to the fort.

The tragic news is Sam's dear friend Mohammed, manager of the Al Hamra taxis, was relieved of his post. Since he was the one who had declared that Sam was assistant manager, we both fear that Sam has also lost his job. Sam declares that the new manager is not as nice, and that "the company is no longer kid-friendly," his exact words. So, instead of regally riding around in the resort taxis, Sam is once again going to be dependent upon his bike.

My friend Bethany is patienlty waiting for me to finish so we can start calling Oman hotels. I wish I weren't in such a news vacuum, but I did hear that Obama was 8 points ahead in the polls, so that gives me hope. Sam and I miss you guys. Brother Ted and Uncle Clayton will be visiting for three days in early October, and Ryer is planning to come to India over the Chrtistmas break. My cousin Lizzie will be here in early December. Visitors are welcome! We miss our family, friends, cats and Colorado, in that order. It is REALLY dry and sandy here, but I knew that... Sam really likes it, though he may change his mind once he experiences the full reality of his demotion.

Hugs to all,

Lucy and Sam