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A Hobbit’s Breakfast

August 10, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

yellow food cart

First Breakfast came from Yolk Breakfast in the Woodstock neighborhood.

orange juice in a plastic cup

Fresh orange juice in an industrially compostable cup.

English muffin, egg, arugula, smoked pork

The Brother Badass sandwich – smoked pork, arugula, egg, on an English muffin.

light blue food cart

Second Breakfast came from Egg Carton on Foster Road.

bacon lettuce tomato sandwich

Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on an English muffin with pink lemonade.

food carts

Third Breakfast came from Fried Egg – I’m in Love on Hawthorne.

three sandwiches

Three sandwiches. Mine had egg, tomato, avocado, and cheese. Yummy!

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Church

August 9, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

Our first Sunday back in the States, I went to church with my in-laws. I haven’t been to a church service in a very long time. This church was fairly traditional and followed a familiar pattern. I enjoyed the music which was a mixture of old hymns and modern choruses. Singing is what I miss most.

This week we attended a very different church, The Bridge. The church currently meets in a yoga studio. Prior to the church service, food and goods are distributed to the homeless and anyone in need.

people selecting food

The church service was conducted as if it it were a restaurant and the activities were menu items introduced by the faux French maitre d’, Pastor Jeff. This included prayer, a story, a rhythmic recitation, and a dance break.

people dancing

It was a lot of fun and meaningful. There was something for everyone – stories, music, movement, art, and humor. Very multiple intelligence.

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Over the Mountains

August 4, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

desert pasture with three snow capped mountains in the distance

Friday, it was time to pack up and head out for the other side of the Cascade Mountain range. We were headed for the town where the families of both my parents went to escape the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. Here they met, married, and started a family.

forrest park area

We stopped for a brief break in one of my mother’s favorite parks. My homeland is so green and beautiful. I thought about this as we drove along and I think I actually understood and appreciated how beautiful it was when I was young. I was very fortunate to have had a childhood surrounded by forests, pastures, animals, and blue skies. Very happy memories.

I’ve added additional pictures – click here.

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Artifacts of Several Lifetimes

August 1, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

The purpose of our USA trip is not a simple visiting of friends and family, although we are doing plenty of that. I am also spending time with my sisters going through our mother’s belongings to choose things to remember her by and decide what should be done with the rest. This is definitely not a two day project.

pile of photos and other keepsakes

In addition to 1000’s of photographs, there are old election pins, a union membership book, fountain pens, RCA victor phonograph needles, our great uncle’s harmonica, and more. This is complicated because it is not just the memorabilia collected by our parents, but also what was inherited by them from previous generations.

jumbled pile of jewelry

The jewelry box’s hidden treasures range from Black Hills gold and Silver/turquoise to plastic jewelry from the 1940’s. Cracker Jack whistles, old dried up perfume bottles, and military insignia.

handwritten note on notebook paper

The biggest laugh came from this handwritten note: Certificate of Award to Marian Kessell for not gripping [sic] for a whole hour. Judging from the handwriting, I wrote this when I was about 11 or 12. Rather bold and sassy.

The adventure continues today, since we did not get through a full half of the boxes. What wonders will be next?

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Going East

July 31, 2013

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

After a few errands and a pleasant banking experience (so refreshing), we headed east, over the Cascade Mountain range to Prineville.

See the travel photos – click here.

A few more Portlandia pictures were added – click here.

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Portland Pit-Stop

July 30, 2013

Posted by Kanga, please do not reblog.

After only three days in California, it was time to get back on a plane and fly again. This time the flight was less than two hours and as pleasant as a plane flight can be. Southwest Airlines knows how to load people onto a plane. They don’t have assigned seating, but as you check in, you are assigned a “pole position.” At the gate they have clear signage to show everyone just where to line up and when boarding begins, everyone goes in an orderly fashion. Once in the plane, you can choose where you want to sit. It is fast and efficient.

Everything else went efficiently, too. We were a bit concerned, because despite repeated tries (both in the UAE and the US) to contact our bank to notify them that we are traveling, we have not succeeded. Our bank is paranoid and will probably block our cards once they begin to receive charges from outside the country. Don’t get me started on UAE banking, because I could rant for days, a real fillibuster.

The evening was spent at one of our favorite, locally owned, Portland pubs – McMenamins 205. Great beer, great food, great (and entertaining) service, and great friends. Much of the conversation was spent talking about the TV show Portlandia and how true it is with specific examples from real life.

We will continue to document Proof of Portlandia throughout our trip – click here.

Next, we have a three hour drive to Prineville, Oregon where my family lives. Stay tuned.

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California: the Sojourn Begins

July 28, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

After a 15 hour non-stop flight, we are safely in California. After much sleeping to recuperate and adjust to the new time zone, We headed out to do a few errands.

Unfortunately, we didn’t think to exchange our currency before leaving the airport. In the UAE, changing currency is not a problem as there are currency exchanges on nearly every street and rates are reasonable. In the States, there are few currency exchanges outside the airport and if you go to a bank to exchange currency, they will expect you to have a bank account with them. We ended up going to the nearest airport and trying there. As non-passengers, we had access to only one exchange kiosk. The rate they offered was outrageous. For the equivalent of $700, they were offering us $500. We weren’t willing to lose $200 that way. So, off we went to find another option, a currency exchange kiosk in a shopping mall. This time we got $600, so had to take it even though that’s not a good rate either, but we were over a barrel, so to speak. Lesson learned, always exchange currency before leaving the UAE airport.

Next errand was to get USA phone sim cards which are necessary because there is no roaming service for Etisalat or Du here. This was easier than our currency experience.

By then we were very hungry and went in search of a neighborhood taqueria. We landed at El Papucho and had enormous burritos. It was a quaint family business, half restaurant and half grocery store.

By then our afternoon was shot and we headed home to pick up DaddyBird’s parents and head to the Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival performance of Hamlet, starring family members as Laertes and Ophelia. The performance was wonderful. Audience members were laughing and crying at all the right places.

For pictures, click here.

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Industrial Area on the Move

July 21, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

skyscrapers in distance, unpaved road and old industrial shops in foreground

Fujairah has an industrial area. It used to be on the outer reaches of town, however, town has grown. Now the land under the industrial area is prime real estate.

Since before we moved to Fujairah, the city has been working toward moving the industrial area to a new location. It is finally coming to fruition.

semi-demolished cement buildings

We thought we would give you a tour of the emptying out, old industrial area. For all the pictures, click here.

[I was going to insert a picture here, but I’ve run out of image storage space. When I get that upgraded, I’ll come back and put the picture in.]

And, it is only fair, to show you the new industrial area. For those pictures, click here.

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Iftar with Friends

July 14, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

It is that time of year again – Ramadan. So, we ventured into Dubai for an iftar meal with some wonderful people.

ten people at a dinner table

BBQ Delights put on a lovely buffet selection.

plate of tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, green salads

I started with salads – beet salad, cucumber, salads, and tomatoes.

plate of chicken, shrimps, and bread

Then meats – two kinds of chicken grills, shrimps, and naan (flat bread). I’m cheating a little on the diet. The shrimps are lightly breaded and the bread is bread.

cup of tea

The finalé – tea.

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We are on TV, Sort of

July 12, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

If you haven’t already, watch this:

Did you see us?

screen shot of DaddyBird's tweet - Woo hoo RT @kangayayaroo @PeetaPlanet set to record so @DaddyBird won't miss it due to his kitchen duties

And at Special Ostadi?

three people in snapshot pinned to the wall

The Peeta Planet television show is one of the best things produced in the UAE. To watch all the episodes plus extras, go to their YouTube channel – click here. Considering all the sensationalized stuff that passes for television, it is really nice to watch something smart and informative. The episodes always include art, music, food, and culture. THIS is television worth watching.