Log Cabin Chronicles Jerry Buzzell's Columns

Log Cabin Chronicles

JERRY BUZZELL

Dr. Jerry Buzzell, a Vermonter who now lives away, teaches anatomy at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain. For the next 4-5 years, Abu Dhabi will be the home of Jerry and his wife, Linda. He expects to file periodic reports from the region, as he did while living and teaching in Kuwait.

Road Sport in the Persian Gulf
Kids play soccer anytime and anywhere - streets, parking lots, desert, roundabouts. Some wear a jersey of their favourite team or they may wear a dishdasha and hike it up a bit when running. Footware is optional. Goals may be posts in the ground or schoolbooks or bricks on the road or they may be optional as well.

The Musandam: Part 2
Khasab. A small town -- but the only one of any size at all in the Musandam peninsula. Two hotels, only one of which is recommended. Main industry - smuggling.

The Musandam:'The Norway of Arabia'
The Musandam is the part of Arabia that points toward the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, separating the Arabian Gulf to the west from the Gulf of Oman to the east. Most of it is a part of Oman, which is separated from the main part of the country (much as Alaska is separate from the lower 48)

'All is well" post-9.11 update
Life goes on smoothly, despite the bombing in Afghanistan.

Finally, I get back to the oasis
Jerry's adventures trying to get back to the Persian Gulf after the Day of Terror on September 11.

The water taxis of Dubai
Abras (water taxis) are features of Dubai Creek. They are fun to watch, buzzing about like so many water beetles.

Cleaning up the wadi
The 4WDs could drive directly into the wadi but the rest of us couldn't and parked our cars on a knoll overlooking the wadi. The others were below us and the kids already had their gloves on and were carrying bags and starting to pick up rubbish.

Christmas Eve in the desert
It's an annual tradition of the Emirates Natural History Group to assemble in Buraimi and drive in convoy to a spot in desert or mountain for a barbecue and get-together on Christmas Eve, to celebrate the season with family and friends.

Part 2: Getting situated in Al Ain
There were lots of questions about what this fort was built for and when.

Getting situated in Al Ain
I have joined the Emirates Natural History Group, one of the most active clubs in Al Ain. Recently, a group of us went on a field trip to several sites in nearby Oman.