Have bike, will make money

A few more items on the Syrians and a few more pics...especially of the processions.

The Syrians are industrious people. They don't hassle you, but there are sales waiting to be made. We particularly enjoyed the bicycle tea salesmen and the coffee salesmen in Aleppo.

It was the season of green almonds while we were in Syria. You eat them with a little salt--the almond is inside, but you eat the whole thing. They're delicious.

In AD updates....the Burj Khalifa reopened the viewing tower the day before we returned from Syria (the 3rd). There is, of course, no word on what went wrong in the first place.

The couple caught kissing on the Jumeirah Beach Walk have had their appeal denied. They have started serving their one month sentence and will be deported afterwards (there is a second appeal pending, but they had to start serving their sentence now)

I know I posted a while ago about 'hot kisses' here in the Emirates...well top news today is that a British couple is in court after kissing in a hotel restaurant at 2 am. An emirati woman said she and her children witnessed this. The couple was arrested and charged with indecency as well as consumption of alcohol. They claim their kiss was not hot....in fact it was a kiss on the cheek.

How come no one arrests the Emirati woman for having her children out at 2am? Isn't that against any child welfare laws??? Honestly, it is scary living here when you read stuff like that.

In the good news column...the Abu Dhabi triathalon was yesterday with an amazing finish at the Corniche. They had crowds of people and beautiful, if hot, weather. Apparently they delayed the start by 45 minutes to have pictures with the sunrise as the participants dove into the water off the Emirates Palace. That might explain the weak and swooning athletes crossing the finish line under the noonday sun. It was also interesting to see a primarily white group of athletes. It's almost like cross-country skiing :)