Kids' Turn" Q&A continued

Next time I'll post a video of the cutest of the kids on a variety of issues. Tried tonight, but blogspot infarcted (which answers the question "who infarcted?"). Wasn't me. Sorry.


And now for a word from the brothers, who are still awake.

Gramma P asks: Boys, have you tried any new foods? If so, what do like and what not?

C: I tried "cheese nuiche" (which of course we now call "cheese louise"), which is a thick Arabian bread with nice soft cheese in the middle and all over the outside. It's really good.

R: Uh, yeah. We had South African bread at our friends' house. Tasted like inside-out french toast. It was very good.


Who are your friends? where do they come from in South Africa?

C&R: Can't name them because we don't have their permission, but they are from Praetoria, and have lived in Russia before this. The parents are from Port Elizabeth. Down the English! Up the Boers!

We also have friends from the US, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, England, Holland, New Zealand, and India.

What is your favourite new experience?

C: Water-colors. Our adopted South African aunt gave me a set last week.

R: Rugby.

What are you learning in school that is different than in Canada?

C: History and geography.

R: The sciences are separated even in "years" 7-9. That's fun. Math is called "maths.

And from earth mother:

Riley: who've you got a crush on?

Nobody.

What is church like for you?

Different. There are only 25 or so of us every Friday, and I'm the only youth. So I attend the adult class.

What activities do the young men do?

Don't know. They are all in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but I plan on doing some Saturday activities with them.

Is there a scouting program?

Yes, but we haven't found them yet. Not church-related.

Chrispy: What's your favourite foreign food?

Bovril: a South African sausage that you eat like a hot dog. It's longer, and kinda looks nasty, but it's way tastier.

Do you guys have a cafeteria at school?

No. But they're planning one.

Jojo: . . . is in bed. In brief, Savannah, he needs to go to school, for all our sakes (especially Wendy's).

As for hot chocolate and the seventies, double-click on that picture to blow it up, turn it on its axis by 90 degrees, and then report back.



Mom's turn: Earth mother asks W about her social life and the public perception of the pasty white folk. Here is her response:

All the women I've met (and some of them are the breadwinners) have been very friendly. I have made friends with a couple of the Abu Dhabi women, both firecrackers for unbloggable reasons. I have also made friends with the boys' friends' mother, Sally, whom I admire for her courage and realism and charity. They came over for a Wii night last week and we had a blast. There are several women's clubs in town, and I have met a few of the Canadian women, who have invited me to join them. Other encounters have also been positive. But everyone's very busy here, so it's a slow integration.

Public perception: well, that depends. Older women and men tend to look down their noses, no matter how modestly I'm dressed. Younger and immigrant men ogle, so I just don't make eye contact. But younger women, even those in full veil, have invariably been friendly. They think we're odd, of course: I was driving home from getting my license, and people gave us funny looks because Jon was in the passenger's seat.

Mostly I just drag my sometimes sexy husband/chauffeur out to buy towels and pumpkin filling. He loves it. We haven't been to Ikea in four weeks. Program complete.