I scoured through old photo albums my husband has brought back from Japan and found baby photos of Pristine, our now 8 year old daughter. People always comment how Pristine and Benjamin look so much the same, cut from the same piece of cloth so to speak so to see if it’s really the case, we took out Pristine’s photo when she was the same age as Ben right now.

Voila. Indeed, we have twins, 8 years apart!

One of the best things about working in Dubai, if you ask me is the annual leave (free trip home, baby!). Companies give employees 30 days of paid leave every year* + airplane tickets to their home country. Wonderful, isn’t it?

While an expat in Japan, I didn’t have that luxury (as expats in most countries). There are some days of paid vacation yes, but it’s so awkward to submit a leave application form like it’s a crime because every one is so work centered (almost robotic…). Needless to say, I only got 9 days of leave days for my wedding 9 years ago and that included Saturday and Sunday!

Oh well, my point is that, I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to my 30 days of bliss, no alarm clock days every year since I came to work in Dubai in 2007. I love “the annual leave culture” except when…

…a work colleague goes back to his home country for his own annual leave and leave his work load to me!

Oh well, every time I moan I feel the dagger looks around silently saying: “We covered for you for three months when you went and had a baby, remember?”

Oh hai, yes, you all did. And I bury myself in paperwork till the “annual leav-er” comes back!

* Most companies give annual leave every year, but some only every 18 months or 2 years but still with free return tickets to home country.

[Top Photo Credit]

The UAE dress code debate has resurfaced again – how short is short?

It’s liberating enough that even the UAE is a Muslim country, it’s not like Saudi Arabia or Iran – women are NOT required to wear a black robe to cover up yet so many people push the boundaries here. There are too many women wearing skimpy shorts and tiny tank tops in public as if walking advertisers of the cliche: “if you got it, flaunt it!”

One lady inside the mall was quoted saying,

I guess it is just too hot for me here, and these clothes are very comfortable for this weather.

I get how hot it must be to walk outside but it’s COLD inside the malls! How hard is it to just wear decent clothes? And as if these ladies are walking for miles to get to the malls. They travel by air-conditioned cars. Sorry but the weather is only a great excuse used by many. When it is winter time and it’s not hot at all outside, they still wear the same type of clothes.

Would it hurt to wear a normal shirt and jeans? or capris? or whatever more decent type of clothing that don’t expose too much skin?

The UAE and Dubai in particular is very liberal as compared to other Muslim countries in the region. As an expat, I think it should not be taken advantage of!

And let’s not get started on the things we see at the beach here…it’s good enough that bikinis are allowed and then some women go as far as wearing a thong bikini.

I don’t know how many of your remember but there was a Kokopax Baby Carrier giveaway in my blog last year sponsored by Kokopax – an award winning baby carrier company in the US. To my delight, they gave me a Kokopax Classic to review before I gave birth. I was so excited but had to wait. Now that our Benjaboo is six months, it was time to take the Kokopax to try it out.

To be honest, clunky was my first impression. I stopped, I hesitated. Then I put baby in and tried and felt so glad I did it! Our baby loved it as he has a better view of what mom is up to. I like that it’s very to put him in and take him out and thanks to the kickstand, it makes loading and unloading easier.

Here’s what we loved about the Kokopax:

• It’s very stylish, and ergonomically designed for both parent and baby.
• Good view of the world for little one
• The shoulder straps are well-padded and comfortable
• Easy in and out– not a million straps and buckles, as with other carriers
• Has a back pad that supports your back & serves as support for baby’s feet
• It can go places that strollers can’t do well, such as sandy pits! (very Dubai)
• The carrier is well built, durable and surprisingly, light (only 3lbs)!

We’ve made heads turn here in Dubai because there’s nothing like it here yet – at least not that I have seen!

* the kickstand can be folded away, not ajar, like in the photo above *

My only little complain is that the harness is a little tough to fasten and unfasten since it is located deep into the carrier, in front of baby’s belly. I assume if one has big hands, it will get in the way with the baby’s belly. (And sometimes the baby doesn’t like it…)

All in all, we’re happy with this baby carrier. We use it outside and inside our home – when I need to do something but want to keep the baby near me, safely.

Do you have a favorite baby carrier? What is it?

Back then, it was to be called Hydropolis, an ambitious hotel under the sea project in Dubai. We first heard about it in 2007/2008, before the economic downturn that knocked off several glittery Dubai projects back to the sand (or slowly back into the sea, as in the case of The World Islands and Palm Deira).

It seems that Dubai never crossed it off its to do list.

Now, the proposed construction of the Water Discus Underwater Hotel put Dubai in the news of the biggest, tallest, most spectacular and the lavish race once again.

Two parts of the structure are connected by three solid legs and a vertical shaft containing an elevator and a stairway. The elevator takes guests 32 feet below the surface of the ocean, where the 21 hotel rooms, dive center and a bar are located. It’s being reported that each guest room will have special lighting so guests can photograph the sea life around them.

The view is beautiful, just don’t open the windows.

What do you think of it? Would you stay in this hotel?

If you’ve been following me on Twitter (I’m @sandierpastures there), you would notice that I just wrapped up hosting the Buckle Up UAE Twitter Party. The topic we talked about during the part was about car safety – everyone had so much to say, one hour flew like anything!  The Buckle Up campaign is close to my heart so I thank the founder, Ms. Lesley Cully for letting me be a part of it.

So how did our twitter party go? Let the numbers speak for itself:

Because Twitter Parties are new to the social media scene here in the UAE, there were only few participants, unlike the Twitter Parties hosted by my friends in the US. (But hey, not bad for only my 2nd Twitter Party)

But, as the stats show, even with *only* 30 people tweeting, the party hashtag (and the message we wanted to convey) reached nearly 21,000 people! What a new way to send the message across in a fun, creative and effective way.

The Twitter Party was jam-packed with information and not to mention, it was fun! Everyone showed support to buckle up at all times and to spread the word!

As we partied on, the hashtag “#buckleupuae” was trending in the UAE less than an hour into the chat.

That’s the power of a Twitter Party!

*****

Just a recap for those who are still curious and clueless about this thing called Twitter Party…

WHAT IS A TWITTER PARTY?

A Twitter party is a party that happens ONLINE, not in the real world, as many would think. During the party (online chat), participants use a specific word tied to their posts, or “tweets,” allowing others to follow all posts that include that word. The word always begins with a pound sign or “hashtag”, our party hashtag was “#buckleupuae”.

Now what’s the point of a Twitter party? Why is it so hot these days?

Well, it’s a way for a group of people to converse with one another around a particular topic at a designated time, and if done well, it can be a way for a business/organization to increase awareness about its brand, products and social media visibility.

Resource: How a Twitter Party works, How to Participate in a Twitter Party

Interested in working with me? Please email sandierpastures [at] gmail [dot] com and I’ll help you put together a fun twitter party centered around your brand/message!

Our baby has started to eat solid food and boy does he love his food! He would say, ‘Mmmm’ with a look of delight on his face during feeding time. Since he is just starting, I am sticking to rice/oat cereals and vegetables and fruits; no condiments, spices or even salt. Nothing commercial, all made at home, by me.

Mashed apples, papaya, bananas, grapes (juiced), orange, squash, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, potato…everything went well. Then pears came and bam! He went from happy to fussy to itchy and had red rashes appearing on his face. We never touched pears again. I introduced yoghurt and again the rashes came and his face swollen. Thankfully, a quick anti-histamine medication (Zyrtec) provided relief.

Like his big sister, I can already assume baby Ben is allergic to milk, (most definitely) eggs and recently discovered, pears. Who knows what more?

It’s so sad because he loves his food and now we have to avoid some and be cautious all the time.

And as if allergy sufferers and parents are having it hard enough dealing with it, the social stigma is daunting. People would ask at my scratching child: Why? I wish I know the answer.

Some moms I know personally to moms I meet in clinics/hospitals are bluntly rude enough to say, “maybe it’s just your imagination!”. Or implying how lucky they are their babies do not have allergies, referring to allergies as “a disease of  weak kids”.

Then it’s shocking how some suggest an ‘allergy cure‘: “Just let your kid eat and eat the food he/she is allergic to and he/she will get used to it!”

Ignorance kills.

The truth is, food allergy problem is real. Parents with children who are allergic to certain foods do not make this up and children did not choose to be born with this. It is hurtful to hear someone say that food allergies are “psychosomatic” – something dieters make up to avoid certain foods with less fuss. These people are of the opinion that no true allergy to foods exist.

Food allergies, although considered a joke by some people, are a medically documented disease that should be taken very seriously. Some food allergies can cause an anaphylactic reaction which can quickly become fatal if proper medication is not administered immediately.

My brother had an episode of anaphylactic reaction – his airway closed up when he accidentally ingested chopped shrimps. My daughter Pristine cries in pain when she has something with eggs. Her body was covered in rashes the first time she had cheese when she was small. She’s allergic to milk and eggs, and all its by-products. Now at 8, she can tolerate milk but still allergic to eggs. You would be surprised the girl is not thrilled at the sight of cakes and cookies – she knows her ‘enemy’ too well.

Allergies are life altering, life threatening for some. If you see a child/person with food allergies, don’t judge and if you’re not a doctor, don’t suggest anything.

Well, I’ve not been out of the house for long distance trips since the pregnancy last year and now with a small baby. Not counting the sponsored trip to Thailand last February 2011 (it was a pleasure trip but not 100% since it was ‘work’), I have not had a proper vacation to Japan for 3 years now and to the Philippines for 4 years.

So until that big trip soon I hope, these are just a few things I found around town…

I wonder what is ‘instant’ about this – the haircut speed? “Haircut in 5 minutes!” or the fact that you might be an instant boy band looks if you choose to have your hair cut here. Who knows?

Next…

Moo…! Oh no…meeeehhh!

You thought human babies only consume milk from cows. Now, apparently, from goats too. For real? Goat milk baby formula?

Speaking of weird food…

Ketchup popcorn for the adventurous. I don’t know about you but I’ll stick to caramel, thanks.

To cosmetics…

You’d think an international brand like L’oreal would know better, you know, slang language. Why the hell this hair cream is named Urban Shag? Curious minds want to know!

And the weird award goes to…it’s a tie (same category) actually. First, a soap claiming to be ‘herbal’, skin whitening and anti-aging.

Given that I have just given birth a few months ago, the placenta I know is of the gross category so I do not dare see the ingredient list of this soap!

Last but not the least (shocking):

(image reduced in size to be more ‘discreet’ heh)

The soap promises results like tightening the walls down there. Enough said!

*****

Have you seen anything weird in your neighborhood lately?

So I was back to my usual routine at the gym (toned down intensity, however) last week. It feels good to be back and I feel a surge of energy…right after the grueling muscle pain that lasted for days, of course. Not much has changed except that the weights have increased in number but it’s such a joke that the weight lower than 5 kilos is 750 grams dumbbell. What can you do with a 750 grams DB!? And I can’t believe so many ladies use it.

Anyway, the other change is in the changing room. I heard from a colleague who continued going to the gym when I stopped during my pregnancy/childbirth that there had been an increase of Russian women coming in for a swim or working out in the gym AND then walking around without nothing on inside the sauna and changing rooms like it’s nobody’s business.

(but of course this is Dubai, nudity is everybody’s business…)

It’s hot in Dubai right now and it’s no denying that some nationalities like it ‘al fresco’ in the changing rooms but since this is a Muslim country, nudity is not permitted in public areas like this. There’s a big sign in English not to be naked but alas…it was not enough. The gym manager apparently received a lot of complaints from other gym members of the naughty kinky ladies so the next day, we saw this:

I don’t speak or read Russian but if you do, do tell me what it says! I have a strong feeling it involves saying, “No butt cheeks exposed, please.” or something like that.

TWITTER PARTY ALERT!

Please join us on Sunday, 13th May for a special twitter chat about car safety.

While driving around Dubai, have you noticed many children not buckled up inside moving vehicles? I have and I am shocked how so many parents let their children run wild at the back (or even front!) of their moving cars while they (the adults) wear seat belts.

While most of us just shake our heads, mum of two, Lesley Cully is fighting to change things, launching the now hugely successful campaign: Buckle Up in the Back.

Buckle Up in the Back is a completely non-profit awareness campaign that has a very simple message: It’s all about saving lives.

The campaign’s aim is for everyone in Dubai be involved in promoting awareness of the importance of using a restraint in the back.

Recently, Lesley launched an education initiative and take her message directly into Dubai’s schools.

It’s easy for parents to ignore what I’m saying or consider my actions interfering, but if their own kids are coming home from school and reminding them that they need to be strapped in, then the battle will be won so much faster!

As a mum myself, I would like to raise awareness to safety so please join me and Buckle Up founder, Lesley Cully (@lesleycully on Twitter) on this Twitter Party for a cause – to celebrate the 2nd year anniversary of Buckle Up and to raise more awareness on road safety.

The more we get together, the more lives we save!

When: 13th May 2012, 3-4pm Dubai Time

Where: #BuckleUpUAE on Twitter

How: To participate, use the tag #BuckleUpUAE during the chat hour and follow host @sandierpastures, special guest @lesleycully and @BuckleUpUAE

Also, please visit and ‘Like’ the Buckle Up Facebook page for more info on events.

Easiest way to join a TWITTER PARTY: TweetChat.com

Simply head to TweetChat on May 13th at 3-4pm Dubai Time and you’re all set! Once you’re logged in using your twitter account, you can type in the chat box on the site and it automatically adds the party hashtag“#buckleupuae” to each tweet.

Resource: How To Participate in a Twitter Party (with video to show you how to use TweetChat)

Prizes: 3 winners will win Babyshop gift certificates worth 100dhs each as a token of thanks for joining our discussion.

See you at the Twitter Party and please help us spread the word!