Merry Christmas From the UAE - 24 Deccember 2005

24 Deccember 2005 2:04 PM
Merry Christmas From the UAE

Dear Everyone,

Attached is a short account of the amazing Christmas Eve I just spent.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

And, to all of you, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love,
Pat

Christmas Eve 2005

I just returned home from spending my first Christmas Eve in the Middle East. I went with my friend Bonnie to a gathering sponsored by the Emirates Natural History Group (ENHG), which draws its membership mainly from Western expats (North Americans, Europeans, Australians/New Zealanders, etc.) although anyone is eligible to join.

It was a barbeque and Christmas Carol sing in the desert outside Buraimi, Oman, just over the border from my town, Al Ain, UAE. Seated in groups around a campfire, we ate food we brought for ourselves and shared with others. Bonnie loves to cook and has lived and worked in about 14 countries over the course of many years, which will explain much of what we brought to eat. We have decided, after consuming the meal, to call it a truly international dining experience. Here is what we had:

• Ostrich meat chunks from Saudi Arabia marinated in homemade Teriyaki Sauce, skewered with “bamboo toothpicks” (skewers) made in China, barbequed over charcoal in a one-use grill we bought on the way there
• Potato chunks marinated in Greek salad dressing, baked in foil over the same charcoal fire
• Middle Eastern tabouleh (salad) with Italian dressing and Feta cheese
• Camembert cheese from France on baguette from UAE, shared by another member who had recently returned from a visit to France
• Middle Eastern tomato slices and white cheese marinated in a vinegar/oil/herb dressing, shared by the same person
• Mince Pies from England
• Kentucky Butter Cake (to die for!), homemade by Bonnie
• Baked apple wrapped in aluminum foil and baked over charcoal.

While Bonnie skewered ostrich chunks and I got the grill going and put on the potatoes and then the meat, we chatted with each other, the young man who brought the Camembert and others sitting nearby.

When the meals were finally finished, we stood and gathered around a blazing campfire there in the Arabian Desert, listened to a reading about the Savior and then sang Christmas Carols under a sky thick with bright stars, while being enveloped by smoke from burning Frankincense and Myrrh, both of which grow in Oman. Far from home and family in a land where Jesus Christ is considered merely a prophet, a group of people from various Christian denominations joined hearts and voices to sing about the wondrous birth of the Son of God. It was an amazing and joyful experience.

May your Christmas celebrations be as meaningful to you as this one was for me.

To all of you: Merry Christmas!

Pat