Skill-Building on Horseback

When we arrived in Dubai two years ago we started looking around, as families do, for activities for our children to enjoy the develop their skills in. Horseback riding was not high on the list since that wasn't really an option in Malaysia but, as luck would have it, the girls decided to give it a shot and see if they liked it. It wasn't always easy, and the weather was so hot that at some point Amalia declared she had had enough of the late morning sun. But we were able to give it one more shot and, with the move from one stable to another (closer by and with an earlier timeline - which makes a big difference in April in terms of temperature) things seemed to normalize. 

Two years on and our girls are riding without support. Irini has now moved up a level meaning that she is working on cantering (essentially a jog). Amalia too is doing great but, being two years younger, needs a bit more time to develop to that level. Still, the girls are growing with confidence, feeling much more comfortable and are - week by week - showing great strides in their ability to work with the horses. Going back to old video of two years ago the difference is quite impressive!  

Now, thankfully, the girls are loving riding, have no problems with the heat (or at least can deal with it) and are happy to go to their classes. A higher level, thankfully, also means more direct time on task which, from a parent's perspective is great. A half hour can get a whole lot of riding in when you're allowing to ride the entire time (rather than the elementary walking one and a time and stopping for adjustments to the equipment, style, etc.). It's a true pleasure each week to watch them trotting and learning how to work with the horse to better themselves. 

These are things that daddy (at the very least) had never envisioned his children doing. But how wonderful it is to see one's children challenging themselves in ways one had never considered before. And so, in their own growing, so too the parents are growing in understanding, and pride. :-)

Neighborhood Upgrades of the Playful Kind

We had heard about it through our friends. It was a growing rumble in the community. You could see the work behind the temporary walls placed around the neighborhood.  But we hadn't seen it in person until, late early November, we were informed that the new park was in "working" condition so we made our way through the little opening in the wall panels and took a look for ourselves. Though not yet fully open it was, none-the-less, as described: A fully functioning playground and park area with adult workout stations, a tennis court and a half court for basketball too! 

The girls (and daddy) were thrilled that it was so colorful and has so many types of activities to offer!  We parked the bikes over by one of the benches in the shade (next to a couple families already making good use of the space) and let the girls go crazy among the new toys on hand. How cool to have so much great stuff right here in the neighborhood!  And only a short bike ride (or walk) away!  

Scan Clan (now Eng & Ire Land Clan) in Dubai!

 We love our cousins/nephews!  It's hard to believe that two brother four years apart could have children nearly 20 years apart, but so is the fate of this family. An early wedding and a later one will make a big difference just one generation down the track. But it doesn't seem to worry anyone that this difference exists at all. So what if Vince and Sammy are 20 years older than Amalia?  So what if we're brining in a new member of the soon-to-grow family (yipee!), Tanya?  We love it all!

The beauty of this family is that when we are all together it's as if time has not passed. Though the fun and games that Sammy and Vince were up to have now been taken over by Amalia and Irini, and our location is different than the Greek summers of yesteryear, the essence of family, the sharing, the being together, is what keeps us all united. 

Tanya had come a few days before for a conference (with her work) but we found the time to see her for dinner one night. It was the first time we had just been us and her and it was delightful!  As we walked around City Walk (new for us) and decided that pizza sounded good, we were able to catch up and get to know each other a little bit. Then, a few days later, the boys decended... Vince and Sammy and Aleko all flew into town and were met with a smiley Laurence at the airport. 

And so began the whirlwind tour of Dubai (with one day in Abu Dhabi) over three days (Thanksgiving weekend). We went all over and saw all sorts of things but there is still much left to do. We had conversations about ethics, and plans, and upcoming weddings. We talked about work, and social life, and family life. We played and we laughed. As families do. And we used the time to reconnect (all together for the first time in years) and re-energize our family dynamic. 

And, of course, we took the opportunity to have our customary "older sibling -vs- younger sibling" half-court basketball game in the neighborhood court. Some in sandals, with a kiddie sized ball (with the older siblings calling "foul") we had new members of the family to initiate and, for some, to introduce the nuances of the sport to. In the end the younger siblings prevailed with Natalia receiving the MVP award for the game. Who knows when the next game will be?  But we do know that the friendly competition is slated to continue, whenever and wherever that might be. Game on!

Reunited (in Barcelona)!

When we said goodbye to 'Cott and 'Becca in 2015 there were tears all over the place. We had spent the night at the same hotel as them to maximize our time together prior to their departure. It was a heavy and tear-filled experience which prompted a promise that we'd get together again every summer after that. So far, it's been a promise well kept. The summers together have taken us to Greece, to Norway, to Colombia, to Sweden and now to Barcelona!

The visit was tricky to plan since we needed to return early and Lizzie was unable to make it prior to that, but for the four days we were together we settled into the part-catch up / part-tourist approach that now characterizes our reunions. Barcelona was a fiercely busy city with tourists lining most streets. But the charm of the city, and the sheer number of opportunities to visit beautiful places wasn't lost to us. Was it the Sagrada Familia? Riding bikes down the beach by Barceloneta? The visit to Casa Batllo, Las Ramblas the Gothic Quarter or the walk up the side of the mountain to Parc Gruell... no matter where we were we came face to face with amazing architecture, splederiferous (our girls would like this word) sites!  We simply could not take it all in during our short visit, so we did what we could and enjoyed our time together!  

It is always a warm and enthusiastic visit with them. There is a spirit in there that is great to share and we shared it happily!  There was talk of the future, and plans and life in general. There were chats of tapas and complaints about the continent's most extreme heatwave, and naps on the livingroom floor of our apartment (where the only air conditioner was located). There was worry about pick pockets and yummy food. There was long walks and metro rides. If anyone has ever gotten a great 'feel' for Barcelona in four day, it was most certainly us. 

But, as always, it's the company that makes it worth while. We found ourselves, in one meal, planning the future all the way out to summer 2021. We can't know, of course, if we will be able to follow through as we are planning, but it's great to know that this chosen connection has such potential for a journey worth following!  We love you guys!

Vive la France!

Add France to the list of places we've been!  Southern France, to be exact. It was two weeks is beautiful Agen and Montpellier along with a few-hour-long stop over in Toulouse. We suppose it was what we'd all expected... castles and little winding streets, country roads flanked by vineyards or fields of sunflowers that go on forever. This time we followed mommy to Agen where she had a conference. So why not go there too! Daddy and the girls filled their days with running around to parks (both of the natural and of the amusement variety) and then met up with mommy in the evenings for dinner. Walking down the pedestrian streets and trying to learn basic French or figuring our how to pay for parking, it was an exercise in cross-cultural, and quite delightful, living. 

Once mommy was done we packed it up and headed to Montpellier to see the world on that side. The Mediterranean, it turns out, is quite beautiful on the western side as it is on the eastern. :-)  More walks in the center of town - with a great discovery of a super old-school toy store than ran through indoor passageways from one end of the block to another - to visits to castles (Carcassonne, to be exact) meant more discovery and more learning!

Perhaps the unexpected gem was Toulouse!  Described as an "industrial town" we had rather low expectations, especially given our hotel's location near the train station (rarely a good neighborhood), but a walk around the center or town revealed a very beautiful experience!  The biggest success there, though, was a water fountain that shot water out from one place to another. The girls were delighted to give in to the temptation and get completely drenched! Mommy and daddy, sitting on the sidelines, happily clicked away. 

Then it was off to Barcelona to meet up with 'Cott, 'Becca and Lizzie!