Driving, Prayer and Flat-bread

I'm sitting here as the sun sets listening to the nightly call to prayer echoing across the city.  This is an event I'm going to have to start making time for in the evening, planning to be on my porch with a cocktail in hand.  It's one of those distinctly Middle-Eastern moments that's worth noticing and enjoying.  It feels kind of mysterious and beautiful, like many ancient traditions I suppose.  

Today, after a couple of false starts because of poor paperwork planning and preparation by Alicia and I (mostly me) I was able to obtain my very own U.A.E. driver's license.  The bureacracy was surprisingly efficient and once we got in the door the whole process didn't take more than 15 minutes.  I'd say that compares favorably to most of my DMV experi

ences back home.  Speaking of which, I hear from my mother that I'm no longer able to drive in my home state due to some, shall we say, disagreements about paying my required tribute to the local magistrate.  Fortunately the DMV here just wanted to see the copy of my American license and that was good enough for them.   I got home from the Library (Alicia is working late) and immediately took a long driving tour of our neighborhood and the major freeways to get my bearings (soundtrack: Radiohead's In Rainbows and Low's Drums and Guns).  All the expats here try to tell you how horrifying the driving is here and how crazy everyone is, and yes, there's a little bit of that, but after driving around town for an hour and a half during rush hour, I can submit to you folks back home that it is no worse than New York.    

I'm home now, and having finished another fantastic meal, I feel compelled to share the secret to my Middle Eastern Cooking Strategy:  Everything in the world tastes good to me if you put it on top of, or even nearby some nicely pan-toasted Arabian flat-bread.  I've eaten the compulsory hummus and lamb, and the less conventional chicken, cheese and mayo and today the bold combination of scrambled eggs, yogurt and cucumbers.  I'm telling you.  It's all fantastic.  The bread costs about 30 cents for 4 huge pieces.  I'm convinced that it will be a part of every meal I cook for myself.   And ya know, I'm feeling pretty good about that prospect.