Dears,

Allan just texted to me to say it was hump day (Wednesday) and I had to giggle. Technically, though, it’s not hump day because the work week ends on Thursday here. Tuesday is actually hump day in Abu Dhabi. By the same token, it could be said that every day in the U.A.E. is hump day. People do love their camels in this part of the world, and understandably so.

I have yet to see a camel but that will change on Friday when we are VIP guests of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition. The main attraction at this event are the falcons used for hunting, but we’ll see all sorts of indigenous species as well. Click here for a story about the show in The National newspaper.

I recently learned that Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s largest (and award-winning) falcon hospital, which sees more than 9,000 falcon patients per year.

I’m hoping to hold a falcon at the expo, if at all possible. Also on docket for discovery are Arabian salukis (a beautiful breed of hunting dog) and the endangered houbara (a large bird that almost never uses its voice).

The Exhibition will be our first foray into Emirati culture and the history of the region. We’ve spent so much time “getting settled” that we haven’t explored real life.

I’m looking forward to getting over this particular hump on Friday.

Love,

Me