Leaving on a jet plane

Today was the day that we have been waiting for, anticipating and preparing for, in what feels like forever. It has been some very long months since Linnea graduated back in May, with her plans changing a bit along the way. She was more than ready now to get going and start her next chapter.
She is off to England to start working as an Au Pair in a family in south London. She says she has always felt at home in England, and I think working with kids will suit her so, so well! All the admin is sorted, English apps downloaded and she has been preparing and packing for weeks.

She is super excited, and at the same time a bit nervously anxious of course, but in a good way. She really is as set as she can be for her new life, and we are so thrilled for her!

Living the life we have chosen, as expats, means that these changes become so much more definite. It is not like she is moving to another city close-by and will come home for Sunday roast every week. So it was a very teary goodbye at the airport, even though her Christmas trip is already booked and we know that she will be coming home to visit in only eight weeks time.

Dear Linnea, I will now hold space for missing you, all the versions of you; at the same time as I am in awe of the extraordinary person you are becoming. I am so proud of you, through all the mom ache, and I love you so.

"Stand tall, even if you fall, and when you are too afraid to look ahead, look beside you, I will always be there. Never forget that you are more beautiful than you can see, stronger than you feel and loved more than you'll ever know". ♥︎♥︎♥︎
Have a great time in England!

Birthday Queen

Linnea's birthday celebrations had to start at midnight this year, as Nathan was going to NY that same night and the taxi was ordered for 12.30 am... So she got to open one present before going to bed, her big present, some new Apple Airpods Max headphones. She was very happy, they have been on her wishlist for quite some time, but we wanted to wait until the new model was out.

So on her actual birthday morning, it was only me singing to wake her up - but there was balloons and gifts of course, as there should be!
Being a big girl, the gifts are getting fewer. Apart from the new headphones, she also received a Charlotte Tilbury perfume, a calendar to keep in her new room, the newest SIMS-pack just released and some money. Both Auntie Nikki and Mormor and Morfar had also sent her some money, so now she is all set to go on fun adventures in England.

She didn't want pancakes for breakfast but had asked for Cinnabon, so that's what we had! A sweet way to start the day!

We went to her favourite PF Changs for lunch, as she needed to visit the mall one last time, and then home to relax a bit before we went out birthday dinner.

She had chosen the Mexican restaurant Barbossa in Yas Bay.

She invited her best friends Sadie and Mia. Mia is still in school here but Sadie is now in the Netherlands for Uni; luckily she had flown in that very morning for her midterm break. Good timing!

Even though we had informed the restaurant when booking, AND had birthday balloons all round our table, unfortunately they didn't really come through with any candles or anything in the dessert (very disappointing), so we didn't get to sing to her at dinner.

Problem solved - once we were home, we added some candles to the late-night S'mores snack, so she got to blow them out and make her wish; and get a big hip hourrah, and a 'Happy Birthday'-serenade!

Our sweet girl, she just loves her birthday... just like every year, she gave me a big cuddle and whispered "Thank you, this was the best birthday ever"..!
I'm so glad I got to spend it with her!

Members Preview Event

The new exhibition opened to the public today, but yesterday late afternoon I was scheduled for the Members Preview Event, where all the museum Art Club Members were invited to a preview tour, and to meet the curators at a Curatorial Talk in the Auditorium.

Noura and I were all ready for the occasion:

Noura did the first tour at 4pm, and then it was my turn at 5pm. Since the Curatorial Talk was at 6pm we did anticipate quite a lot of visitors at this tour; but not in my wildest imagination had I thought I would deliver a "tour" to THIS many people!!! Can you see me..??

People just kept coming and insisted on joining in, and as they ran out of headsets I had to use my big voice, ha ha! Lucky I do have strong voice, and really lucky that I am tall and even wore some heels, so people could see me in the huge crowd. They counted 127 people..! Unbelievable!

The nerves always get you a bit on the first tour, but I actually think it went rather well. I got lovely instant feedback from so many, I covered a little bit of everything, and I stuck to the time I was allocated. It felt good!

So fitting, that I woke up this morning to my SmartTV treating me with this image:

(I have a slideshow set on the TV so that each day it changes image, and shows a new artwork from the collections of Musée d'Orsay. This one above is one of my favourites by Vincent Van Gogh, which is on my stationery for my exhibition material.)

Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances

We have started a new season at the museum, and this year the big International Exhibition is about the Post-Impressionism; how it started, why it started, what it was and how it has been influential further on.

We were so lucky this time, to get access to the exhibition already a week before the opening, which is rather unusual! Usually they work until the last minute with hanging, preparing the labels, doing changes and so on. But this time, we had three training sessions this week, IN the exhibition! Sure, it was noisy as they were working around us, but it didn't matter - it is so helpful to get to see the space, and the artworks, to be able to plan our tours.

I am really excited about this exhibition as it has brought us quite a few masterpieces. Just look at this:

The Talisman, 1888, Paul Sérusier:

The palette of Vincent Van Gogh:

Mountain Sainte Victoire, 1890, Paul Cézanne:

Arearea, 1892, Paul Gauguin:

Les Alyscamps, 1888, Paul Gauguin:

The colour palette of Georges Seurat:

Bedroom in Arles, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh:

L'Air du Soir, 1893, Henri-Edmond Cross:

Le Divan Japonais, 1892, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec:

So looking forward to deliver tours in this exhibition!

October Fest at Craft

We wanted to thank Linda and Johan for letting us stay in their summer house this summer, so we took them out for dinner this weekend. We took them to Craft, where they have October Fest at the moment, so it was a night of very big beers for some, cocktails for others...

... and a bit of both for Nathan!

I only had the good food, as I was driving, but that was no 'only'. I might be bias, but the Craft food is some of the best food in Abu Dhabi.
It was also Linda's birthday the day after, so plenty of reasons to have a fun night!

Kanelbullens Dag

As you know, I love my traditions! One of the most important days in the Swedish calendar is 4 October which is Kanelbullens Dag = Cinnamon bun Day!

Celebrated this year here in Al Zeina at the home of one of my fellow SwedishLadies, munching away on home baked goodies, om nom nom!

Definitely worth taking a half day off work for! Ha ha!

Happy birthday Nathan

Birthday boy got celebrated with balloons and gifts in bed, as per tradition.

Not many gifts, just the token fun ones, such as a Beer Trivia Game, some giblets for his Crocs, and a rather special Christmas decoration that Mormor had got custom made:

Isn't he gorgeous! He will take pride place eventually as we get closer to Christmas:

Birthday breakfast was cooked breakfast this time, as I completely forgot about making pancakes.

 
The rest of the day was spent doing chores that were urgent, like sorting out Linnea's Visa, and picking up Nathan's Swedish passport from the embassy. We had lunch at a Libanese restaurant in town (which was a bit of a let down), and then cooked ribs for dinner, and invited Will over.

Art Here 2024

The fourth edition of Art Here has been inaugurated at the museum, and once again we have artworks outside under the dome. This years theme is Awakenings and has five shortlisted artworks participating in the competition.

Debutante Ball, by Emirati artist Lamya Gargash:

Brides of the Sky, by Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr:

Shared Motion, by Emirati artist Sarah Almehairi:

Tiling the Soil, by Franco-Tunisian artist Ferielle Doulaina-Zouari:
 

Landscapes, by Tunisian artist Nicene Kossentini:

Edible Art

I made it back just in time to be able to admire something I had seen on Instagram, that was happening at the museum throughout the summer, an Edible Art Exhibition!

The Arte Dubai café had taken over the lower forum, and were serving cakes inspired by, modeled on and shaped as artworks from the Louvre Abu Dhabi galleries.

They looked absolutely fantastic!

There was also a small exhibition with pieces in natural size, copies of the real thing.

The absolute 'pièce de résistance' of the whole thing was of course this model of the museum, made entirely out of chocolate!
It was more true to the real thing, than the model we have in the entrance!

Amazing details!