Spring into Winter

I usually avoid talking about the weather. But, in Dubai, at this time of year it 's hard not to appreciate it every minute of every day. We have such balmy, miserable summers, that the winters are, in contrast, heavenly. Every part of my body sighs and relaxes into this blissful state as soon as the weather cools and I can spend more time outdoors. I say winter, but it's really spring.

Everything and everyone wakes up at this time of year in Dubai. Children play outdoors-- laughter, bikes, games of catch and hide and seek. Birds coo regularly. They flit from tree to tree, showing off their bright colors. The sea beckons with its large, cool, bright blue waves swishing and swooshing to the shore. Dubai's outdoor cafes and restaurants finally begin to bloom as people fill them up with quiet evening conversations.

I love Dubai at this time of year.

A haiku attempt:

gentle Dubai breeze
dozing in the warmth of sun
sighing in my soul

Traditions

On New Years day, I was invited to my cousin’s house to celebrate the New Year—Greek style. My whole extended family—made up of about 60 adults and children—had a wonderful time eating, drinking and lounging about in her beautiful garden. With the sun shining on our faces and the cool Dubai spring breeze causing us to wrap light sweaters tightly around us, we celebrated the official beginning of 2009.

In honor of the New Year, my cousin, who is married to a Greek/Egyptian ended the lunch on a traditional, but fun note— the honoring of St. Basil, one of the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The Vassilopita, also known as the St. Basil Cake, is the heart of the tradition. What is the Vassilopita? It’s a Greek type of pound cake baked with a hidden treasure: a wrapped coin. No one knows where the treasure is hidden. The only way to find it is to cut the cake into slices. One slice is cut per family or person present at the gathering. According to Greek tradition, the person who gets the coin will have good fortune for the rest of the new year. Because of this, the cutting of the cake has to follow some specific rules.

My cousin held the cake up high as she placed it at a center table. All the families gathered around the cake. Because of the sheer size of our family and the small size of the cake, slices were predetermined ahead of time and by family rather than by person. My cousin’s husband called out the names of the families before he cut each piece. We all waited eagerly to see who it would be. There was so much laughter and yelling as we all searched for the coin in our allotted slice of cake. A lot of cheering and booing later, the coin was finally found.

I’m not sure what it was about Vassilopita, but this tradition left me feeling all warm and toasty inside. I’ve decided traditions do have an important place. I think what touched me the most was the spirit in which it was done. There was so much fun and laughter as well as teasing—all in good form. And somehow, it brought our family closer as we celebrated this special Greek Orthodox tradition.

My picture Book--Raya's Globe. January 1, 2009

Raya's Globe is about a girl who doesn't know where she's from. She goes on a virtual journey using the globe in her room to help her come to a surprising discovery. Raya's Globe has been published here in Dubai by Jerboa Books (www.jerboabooks.com), a locally based publisher. I wrote Raya's Globe three years ago, but it was released in Dubai books stores in September. It is a book many expat children can relate to. It is actually based on my oldest son, Zayd, who came home from school one day to ask me, "Mom, where am I from? I was born in Lebanon, I have an American Passport, you are Palestinian, I live in Dubai and lived in Saudi Arabia till I was 5--where am I from?" He was truly perplexed! From that question, Raya's Globe was born.

That question continues to be one we often discuss in our family. Where are you from? Is this a question you wonder about?