While the cat's away...

I have to say that I had plenty of time to think on the 13 + hour-journey back to Abu Dhabi last week. I was getting excited about digging into year 2. I still have lots of places I'd like to visit (Al Ain, Qasr al Sarab, Lebanon, Jordan, India, Sri Lanka-- to name a few) and I'd like to settle in more here, improve my rudimentary Arabic, meet some more people, etc.

I was pretty happy as we left the airport which is still small enough that you feel calm there. It's warm and it's Ramadam so people are a little persnickety, but I quite liked Ramadan last year and even if it's 105 degrees -- it's August. Plus it's 68 degrees in Paris which I moaned about for years (11 to be exact). I can't very well moan when it's hot and sunny.

Off we went into the city. It seems the government has been very busy while everyone's been away. First of all, I'm quite sure the government has plastered the city with cctv cameras. They're on every street. And most likely, while they were up there, they also installed more traffic cameras. So the Emirati government will be a whole lot richer when those traffic fines start rolling in. Just what they need. Now they can buy big screen tvs to watch us sneaking tic tacs in our cars (not allowed during Ramadan) at the Corniche and 32nd street.

Finally, we turned onto our street where the government really had a lot of fun. (See photos). They tore up one side of an entire block. People left for vacation with their cars in their garages and when they get back, it will be a LONG time before that car comes out of the garage (as happened to our neighbor in front). The street has apparently been torn up for about a month already. I haven't seen anyone working there after 10 am in the morning and most mornings they're gone by 7:30 (they start around 5:30). So I don't see how they'll be done before Ramadan ends and the rest of the city's inhabitants return.

The real question is what are they doing????

It's clearly city property, but (after a careful poll of the resident experts--various watchmen, maids, waitresses and neighbors--the actual workers don't speak any language I understand) the current theory is that they're going to privatize the parking on that side of the street for the exclusive use of those villas (conveniently owned by a powerful sheikh). This would do away with the one bit of commerce on the street--La Brioche Restaurant. They had a lovely terrace that was always bustling. There was plenty of parking but the locals don't like to walk even ten meters so they'd all double and triple park in front of the terrace. I agree that it was dangerous and annoying. But how about, I don't know, a valet attendant or traffic cop ticketing each night--maybe one of those new cameras could do the work? Surely this wasn't necessary. Anyway there's nothing to be done (there never is). There are no straight answers, no one in charge, no one to voice an opinion to.

I'm just glad I can get my car out of my garage.

Ramadam Kareem.