Snooping Around Snoopy Island

When we arrived four years ago (has it been that long already?!?) we were told about the coast of Fujairah, sitting across the the world renowned (for probably the wrong reasons) Straights of Hormuz. We were told of beautiful beaches, of opportunities to explore. And we were told about one particular little island, sitting mere meters from the eastern coast of the country, where snorkeling was simple and beautiful. It was "on the list" since that time, but it wasn't until now that we finally ventured out to see what all the talk was about with this place... Snoopy Island. 

The island sits just across from a hotel which, truth be told, has probably seen better days. The staff was friendly as can be and the basic amenities were there, but so was a good amount of construction and rebuilding. Considering the times we're living in that's probably a good move, to minimize any impact on the many guests who might otherwise frequent the place. As it were, there were no more than six families there when we were, meaning the beach was practically all ours!  

Within minutes of arrival we dawned the swimming gear, picked up the equipment bags and rushed out to the beach. Another five minutes later we were in the water, happy as can be, looking through masks and putting on our fins. Five minutes after that we were off and swimming. A couple minutes later still, and still on the sandy bottom, we saw our first sign of large life: A 1.5 meter (give or take) sting ray, moving majestically away as the four of us - all side by side - splashed our way over its resting spot. Thrilling!

The next 24 hour or so brought with it a whole host of "oooh, look at that" and "wow, cool" from in between rocks and underneath corals. The parrotfish, angelfish, a couple triggerfish, the huge (but too deep to worry about) sea urchins and a host of wonderful box fish, which daddy loves so much!  But the show was probably - and appropriately - stolen by two sightings on the second (and last) day there. One was a nice long trailing of a cuttle fish who, though obviously not wanting to stick around, was none-the-less quite elegant in his slow retreat. And then, as we were about to call it a day, mommy spotted something that she's been hoping to spot for close to two decades!  A beautiful, young adult (from the size of it) hawksbill turtle, was swimming effortlessly under water some distance between the corals and the beach. As we made our way back, there it was. And it too moved away, but slowly, allowing us a great chance to see it up close and personal (enough) and to make the trip that much more worthwhile! 

As we got out of the water we were beaming with a newly rekindled energy we can find only in natural escapes. Snoopy Island is such a kitschy name tied to the shape of the island these water border. But the true amazing was all happening down there, beneath the water, in relatively obscurity to anyone who was simply swimming along or paddling around as most others were. Thankfully, we came prepared, and we left happy as can be. Life is aaaaall right. 

I Love you Soooo Much, Daddy!

 

It's funny how, as the children grow, they change ever so slightly. Of course they get big, and they mature, and do a much better job of organizing themselves and following directions. But there are also other little things too. Case in point: Our girls have decided that it's nice to tell their father that they love him. They say it often. Almost as often as their parents say it to them. But Amalia, in particular, insists on saying it everywhere. Sometimes she'll run up for no apparent reason and says "I love you soooo much, daddy!" Of course, daddy melts. But then there are moments when might seem like a stretch, and it is some of those that create the biggest impression. The other night, in the middle of the night, daddy was making sure all the doors were locked and lights off. The house was mostly dark and as he walked around he turned the lights off. From the living room, to front door, to the hallway, to the staircase and into the upper hallway, the darkness followed him. He did the customary ritual of walking into the girls bedrooms to just give them a little kiss, wish them sweet dreams and tell them he loves them. As he walked up to Amalia she was sleeping soundly. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, only to hear a wisper come from her lips... "I love you soooo much, daddy". He melted, watched her sleep, took in the calm beauty that is one's daughter, filled his soul with love and pride and satisfaction, turned off the light and headed to bed. Little things mean a lot. Even in the dead of night. 

Kisses -n- Smiles

 

And we musn't forget that, while being completely spoiled by one's nuclear family, there are other layers of love rushing in and out of one's life experience. On the same day that pastitios were baking and cinnamon cakes were being happily consumed, another side of the universe opened its doors and rained equally soul-touching love on us. Pappou and Moca did their part in celebrating the lives we all live. In traditional artistic flare Pappou made a card (shared electronically) to celebrate our combined family connections. And, to boot, he added some pictures from the past that he felt highlighted the love that binds this family so firmly. Of course, we have to share. Love to us all!

Daddy's Day

 

Well, if we're going to celebrate the girls' birthdays perhaps we should celebrate the father's. This year the birthday arrived on a weekday and so it was a bit more 'scrunched' into the daily schedule than it has been in the past. Regardless, it was a great day, starting with a wonderful bougatsa breakfast (with a little side of 'kafedaki' for daddy). The Greek theme continued through the day so that - after a day of 'happy birthdays' from the people surrounding us, the return home allowed us time to really big into things. Daddy had been asked what he wanted for this special day. The answer, a resounding walk down memory lane, with all sorts of goodies. First, of course, there was pastitsio, crafted to perfection using an old recipe from the Myers family (giagia's, to be exact). Then there was a yummy side salad topped with the requisite Greek olive oil, followed by another family (on the Greek side) favorite: Cinnamon cake!  And, to ensure that sugar was the real winner of the day, the formal dessert was comprised of vanilla ice cream topped with instant coffee. Though mommy's response to that last one was "yuck" there is a story to this...

Years ago, when daddy was no older than eight or so, he had gone on a family vacation to Corfu with pappou and giagia (mama and baba to him, of course) and Aleko. Once there they had walked their way around the center of the city where, as luck would have it, they found a "hole in the wall" ice cream shop with all sorts of flavors. And their flavor of choice? Perhaps you guessed it... vanilla ice cream with instant coffee sprinkled on top. :-)

But the true present was the love put into all the food by mommy and the girls, the beautiful words written on the cards they gave daddy, the family being together for dinner, of course, and some cuddle time to top the evening off. For daddy, it was the perfect day. 

For the record, the cards read:

"Dear Daddy, happy birthday! I love you sooooo much. Thank you for being the most caring, funny, kind, wierd daddy that you are. You mean the world to me. I love you with all my heart. I hope you have the most amazing day. I love you. Te amo. Σ'αγαπω πολυ. Amalia"

and

"Dear Daddy, 53.... already??? Happy birthday!! I cannot explain or even comprehend how much I absolutely love you!! You are soooooooooo amazing and I have no clue what I would do without you. You have brought me joy, happiness, love, and everything I could ever ask for. You are such a caring and loving person to everyone. You always make people happy and have the biggest heart in the world. I have always loved being with you and look forward to many more amazing memories to come!!! Love, Irini

 

Now tell me. Is that not the perfect gift for a father/husband?  I love my girls!  All three of them!

1st 3-Pointer in the Record Books

Summers in Dubai can be difficult from the perspective of outdoor experiences. As the heat arrived we found our outdoors experiences dwindling. Soccer play around and basketball shoot arounds got less frequent and finally took a break. By late July we were nearly fully indoors trying to find things to do (ping pong is our newest pass time on the dinning room table). The heat arrived for good, followed by the humidity. By mid August we had experience enough to be able to recognize the changes in temperature. In a strange twist we can now feel the different between 41 degrees and 39 degrees. And, as we become more accustomed to it al, suddenly 37 seems quite cool!  To the point that yesteday's dip "into the lower thirties" (according to the radio station) was a call to play some basketball!  Amalia, Irini and daddy headed out just as the sun was setting and did some playing around for the first time in a while. It was fun!  The girls worked on their footwork, their give-and-gos, their cross over dribbles to the right and to the left and, of course, their shooting. By the time 40 minutes had gone by what originally appeared to be a 'pleasant' temperature had turned into 'quite warm'. With that we opted for a few final shots before heading out, at which point Irini announced "I'm not leaving until I make a three pointer". Given that she had never made one before daddy thought that this might actually take a while. The girls shot (Amalia from the foul line and elbow) and it was just three shots in that Irini's 3-pointer hit off the rim and in. Excitement ensued, with Irini literally jumping around, arms flailing, yelling "Boom". It was a moment of personal accomplishment, and well celebrated. 

When we got back Irini rushed to mommy to talk about her new success. Then, on the way up the steps and toward the showers she said to daddy "I had a lot of fun today". Daddy's response: "Would it have been fun if you didn't make a 3-pointer?". The answer, a resounding "yes"!  It's important that the sense of accomplishment is not always determined by the making of baskets but rather by the effort and growth. Thankfully, in this case we got all three. Way to go Irini! We love you sooooo much!