Halloween

I know it is Fall somewhere- colorful leaves falling, rainy overcast skies, the smell of fresh baked bread and pumpkin pies... all of these things and more. Abu Dhabi is still warm,(hot really if I am being honest with myself), with blue sunny skies, and the only pumpkin in sight costs about 80 Durham- the equivalent of say, maybe 20 bucks.

We ere all set to celebrate Halloween but it was cancelled due to one of the Emirate Sheiks deaths. So the country is in mourning for the next 40 days, with Abu Dhabi observing it for 7 days. So Halloween will officially be celebrated in Abu Dhabi on Friday November 5th. I told Grace "Be Happy, this is the only time in your life where you will get to trick-or-treat on your birthday!".

We did have a ward/friend Halloween party last Saturday night. It was really fun with a chili kick off and some games and treats. Audrey and Grace were Hula girls, Sullivan was a vampire and Hazel was a butterfly(for all of five seconds). Good times.

Some of you back home have asked if we celebrate Halloween here. Well, sort of. Some Westerners do- and some Arabs do to. Just whatever your family decides to do.
You kind of are made to feel a bit like a heathen, there are crazy letters to the editors in papers regarding Halloween. I have clipped a few and am making a scrap book. Here are a few headlines and quotes from articles-

"Keep kids safe- don't get into evil Halloween" or ..."a few people will be very surprised to find their cats and dogs slayed and heads ripped off and crucified around Halloween time..." ...."do not call yourself a Christian when you are celebrating this junk:..

So...regardless you will find us trick-or-treating this Friday night. We have all been given Pumpkin pictures to tape to our front doors if we are participating.

As for the rest of the week- I have finally hopped off the fence and ordered some curtains for this villa. I am sure the neighbors are as excited as I am. I keep calling Didar to see when they will be done- his response 'In sha Allah'- translating- when God wills it...so sometime soon perhaps.