Ahh, moving at Christmas. We did it twice, moving to Cairo from Dubai and then again the following Christmas moving from Cairo back to Dubai. We lived in the same seedy apartment hotel on both occasions over the holiday period with a 15/16yr old and no internet - the horror! It took several years before I lost the urge to pack at this time of year. May your move be a smooth one and we look forward to hearing about your first impressions back in the US.
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OMG those are far too beautiful to wear. Who cares if they're comfortable or not? Just put them on a pedestal and admire them.
The link to the wizard is broken :( Could you please repost?
It's so interesting how children view the world! I remember when our son was in kindergarten, before we even went overseas, he came home and was talking about a girl he'd played with. I didn't recognize her from her name, so he started to describe her and went into some detail about what she'd been wearing. It was only when he started talking about the braids in her hair that I realized she was black. Her skin colour wasn't something he found distinctive.
Last year my father-in-law battled a mysterious and undiagnosed illness before he died. Living 3,000 miles away we were often frustrated by 2nd and 3rd hand accounts of doctor's visits, test results and the inability to do assist with so many small chores that would have been so easy to do if we had been living closeby. Fortunately we timed a visit when he was still well enough for us to enjoy some happy times with him, but that's not always the case. I have many expat friends, most of them women, who spend their time commuting between countries to visit aging parents. Although they do so willingly, it is at great personal cost as they are unable to maintain a normal life anywhere.
As my grandma would say "You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar." :) The Middle East is similar to France - losing your temper will get you nowhere as it's seen as very rude behavior. In fact in Dubai there were many cases of expats who were arrested, jailed and deported for swearing or rude gestures!
As someone who grew up in the UK with their national health system and then migrated to Canada which also has a state run health system, going overseas and suddenly encountering healthcare for profit was a real eye-opener and quite disturbing. In the countries I lived in I didn't see the kind of "solution looking for a problem" which you describe, but I certainly saw excessive testing and over-treatment both for myself and friends. And then there was the cost! Fortunately we had excellent medical insurance, but previously I had no idea how much healthcare cost and so am now much more appreciative of the state systems and less inclined to criticize them. For me the though of having to consider whether or not to seek treatment based on the cost of it, is frightening and yet I now realize that this is the reality for millions of people.
Love the addition of video, Heather, it is SO much more engaging than text!
Thank goodness I'm not the only one on this continent that doesn't like ice! :) Drink preferences are highly cultural in my experience.
Many years ago, my brother-in-law, of British origin but a long-time Hong Kong resident, walked into a pub in the UK and ordered a drink. The rather surly bartender just poured the liquor into a glass and pushed it towards him. "Could I have some ice?" my BIL asked. The bartender rolled his eyes and went in search of an ice bucket. After a solitary cube was added, my BIL asked "And how about a slice of lemon?" This was the last straw for the bartender. "Do you want a woman as well?" he shot back.
Very interesting and valuable advice. When we lived in Dubai there was lack of elderly people, as 90% of the population is expatriate which means being a) under age 60 and b) able-bodied. Whenever we visited other places or returned home they seemed to be flooded with old people by comparison! As a result the city is not very well set up for those with limited mobility or disabilities of any kind, although this is gradually changing
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Judy 
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