Making Radio, The UN and More!

Hi everyone!

Today was another great day here in NYC!

I spent the morning with Keith and Kristin as they continued to work on their radio program. Today we visited a recording studio where I got to meet another member of their radio program team. His name is David Brancaccio. He is very, very nice. Kristin says he is a very famous television reporter. He has his very own show on PBS...the same station that shows Sesame Street every day.

His name is hard for me to say...so I will just call him Mr. B. Kristin says his job is to "host" the program. This means he is like a television anchor...except he is on the radio! Kristin says Mr. B has worked on the last two radio programs she and Keith have worked on.

His job today was to read all of his lines. This is very important and as I soon discovered, something that isn't very easy. I couldn't understand why Keith and Kristin had spent so much time working on the computer yesterday. Now I know they were working on their script for Mr. B.

The script is broken into small sections and each has a number. There were more than 30 sections for Mr. B to read. Kristin calls these sections "tracks." This is very confusing! To me a track is a round outdoor path that I run around in gym class.

To complete his task, Mr. B and Kristin sat in a small room with a few microphones. Keith was in a room that looks similar to the radio studio at the Stanley Foundation. And their friend Simon was on the phone from Washington DC.

Kristin said I could stay in the studio with her as long as I was VERY, VERY quiet. So I didn't make a sound!

It was very interesting to watch this process. Mr. B would read his lines and sometimes read the same line two or three times. They sounded the same to me so I asked Kristin why he was repeating himself. Kristin says sometimes Mr. B was making what she calls a "safety" copy. I think this is like a back-up copy just in case.

Other times, Kristin says Mr. B was changing the tone of his voice. This will allow her to pick what she thinks is the best version as she gets ready to complete the radio program.

I also realized that it didn't matter that Keith and Kristin were really prepared before we arrived, Mr. B sometimes made changes to the script. Keith says this is normal. Sometimes the way we write something on paper doesn't sound very good when it is said outloud. I had no idea, but I guess it makes sense.

Here you can see me watching Mr. B and Kristin make changes to the script.


The entire process lasted about three hours. Kristin says Mr. B's script...of voice tracks...are now saved on a CD. It is Kristin's job to find the best voice tracks and get rid of the rest. She says she will start working on this next week.

After we left the radio studio, Keith and Kristin took me for a brief tour of the United Nations...or the UN. Keith says this is a very important place. He says this is where leaders from all over the world meet to try and solve very big problems. Keith and Kristin told me the Stanley Foundation does a lot of work with the United Nations, and they have visited this building several times.

Here you can see Kristin and me standing across the street from the main UN building. Kristin says this build is called the Secretariat. Did you know it has 38 floors?



There are 191 countries in the world that are members of the United Nations. Each country has a "delegate" or representative assigned to work here in NYC. I think the UN works similar to the way Congress does in Washington, DC. Except here, there is only one representative from the United States.

Keith and Kristin took me inside to see part of the UN. We had to go through security to get inside the building. Yes...I got to go through the x-ray machine again! But I also had to be checked after the x-ray machine with a hand-held tool Kristin calls a "wand." I had to hold my arms out very wide so the guard could pass the wand over my body. The machine beeps when it passes over a metal object like a zipper. I've never had to go through this kind of security before. Kristin says there are many important people who work at the United Nations and security must double and sometimes triple check everyone entering the building.

Inside, Keith and Kristin showed me a few art and photo displays in the main visitors lobby. They were very interesting. Kristin says these displays are changed every few months so if I ever visit the UN again I will see new items in the lobby.

But one of the displays that you can always see is a series of pictures of several men. The pictures are actually handmade carpets but they look like real pictures. Keith says these men are the past leaders of the United Nations. The leader is called the "Secretary General" and this person is elected to serve in the position by the representatives of all of the countries that belong to the UN.

The current Secretary General is a man named Kofi Annan. Keith says he is one of the most important people in the whole world! He is from the African nation of Ghana. See if you can find Ghana on the map.

Here you can see Keith and me standing near Kofi Annan's portrait in the UN visitors lobby.


As I looked at the picture of Mr. Annan, I realized that he looked very familiar. Then I remembered that he is in one of the pictures in Kristin's office at the Stanley Foundation. In the picture, Kristin and Keith are interviewing Mr. Annan. WOW! They have interviewed one of the most important men in the whole world!

After we finished in the lobby, Keith and Kristin took me downstairs to the United Nations bookstore. There, Kristin bought me a few books about the United Nations so I can learn more about what actually happens here. Kristin also bought me a UN teddy bear to add to my collection of items from my many travels. The bear is an interesting blue color. Keith says this is the official color of the United Nations, and it is special or "unique" to the United Nations. I had no idea!

I was so tired after our trip to the UN that I took a nap in Kristin's room with my new bear.



After my nap Keith and Kristin took me to a famous restaurant in Times Square called Roxy's Deli. I learned it is famous for its meat sandwiches and cheesecake. Kristin shared a piece of Snickers Cheesecake with me. It was made with real Snickers bars AND the slice was almost bigger than me! But it was sure yummy!



Kristin says NYC is famous for cheesecake. It seems to me that NYC is famous for many things.

We then walked home...through Times Square...so I could see all of the lights one more time. We are headed home tomorrow.

Until next time...

Bright Lights, Big City!

I’m sorry it has taken so long to write but Keith and Kristin have been working very hard and I have been too busy exploring New York City!

Have I mentioned that New York City…or NYC…is SO cool?!

After Keith and Kristin finished their work yesterday afternoon, they took me to Times Square for dinner. WOW! I have never seen anything like Times Square. There are so many billboards, ads, bright lights, and interesting people that I could have spent all night in Times Square and only seen a small part of it. Here I am standing with Kristin in the center of Times Square. One of the large screens behind us shows NBC news.



Kristin says near the top of the building with the NBC screen is a giant ball. This ball is lighted and “dropped” several feet to mark New Years. She says millions of people stand in Times Square every year to see the giant ball drop. I think I am still too young to stay up to “ring in the New Year” as Kristin says but someday I want to see what this giant ball looks like.

Kristin says Times Square is the heart of NYC. It is called Times Square because the building that houses the New York Times newspaper is at one end of the square. But, Times Square isn’t really a square. I thought it would be like the square block around the Muscatine County Courthouse. But it is more like a long triangle. The street that runs through Times Square is called Broadway. Kristin says it is a very famous street. There are many theatres where actors perform plays and musicals all around Times Square. When someone says they are headed for Broadway…they are likely headed to the theatre. Who knew?

We didn’t go to any theatres last night but Keith and Kristin gave me a grand tour. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Café. It is a famous restaurant chain that displays instruments, clothing, and other items from famous musicians. Keith says the one in Times Square is brand new. Kristin and Keith were amazed when we walked in because there was a large display case that included the suits worn by members of a band called the Beatles when they first visited New York in the 1960s. I don’t know anything about the Beatles but Keith and Kristin tell me they are one of the most famous bands ever. Who knew?

I liked the Hard Rock because they gave me crayons to color with while Keith and Kristin waited for their food. They also have bottles of Heinz Catsup on every table. I wonder if it was made in Muscatine?



After dinner Keith and Kristin showed me the ABC studio where they tape Good Morning America. Of course we weren’t there in the morning so no one was in the studio. But, the building has a neat sign that shows news and sports headlines. Kristin calls it a “news ticker” and she says she could stand for hours just watching the news headlines. I think this is boring.

We also walked past the NASDAQ building. It is REALLY neat! The whole front side of the building is like a giant computer screen. And as you can see in this picture, this large screen that displays pictures wraps partially around the building.



As we walked through Times Square I noticed a number of people eating large pretzels. Guess what, you can buy these pretzels and lots of other food right on the street! I have never seen such a thing. Here I am with Kristin by a pretzel cart.



Keith and Kristin saved the best part of the night for last. There is a HUGE Toys R’ Us Store near the middle of Times Square. It is the largest toy store I have ever seen! And guess what? There is a full-sized Ferris wheel like the one you can see at an amusement park INSIDE the store! Can you believe it? I was too scared to ride the Ferris wheel but you can see part of it behind Keith and me in this picture.



I have never seen SO many toys in my life. There is a large dinosaur that roars on the second floor. There is also a large Lego section. The Lego section includes large versions of famous New York City buildings like the Empire State Building. Kristin says it was once the tallest building in the world. I am told it is the same building King Kong climbs in the famous movie of the same name. Can you see me as I try to climb the Lego Empire State Building?



This store also has a very large candy store. I felt like Charlie in the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But Kristin said I didn’t need any sweets so I settled for a picture with one of the characters in the candy area. Don’t you think this looks just like one of the figures in the game Candyland?



I could have stayed in Toys R’ Us forever but Kristin said we needed to get back to the hotel because it was WAY past my bedtime. Kristin did buy me a new stuffed toy. It is Geoffrey, the Toys R’ Us mascot. But this one is dressed up to look like the Statue of Liberty. I learned this is a famous monument here in New York that was given as a gift from France many years ago.

Keith says that some people call NYC “the city that never sleeps.” Well if I wasn’t SO tired, I wouldn’t sleep. There are way too many things to see here. But, I must have been very tired from my Times Square adventure because I was sound asleep before we got back to the hotel. So, Kristin tucked me into bed with Geoffrey.



Until next time…..

Greetings from New York City!

WOW! I was really surprised today when I got off the airplane today. I am in New York City! Kristin says “The Big Apple” is a nickname for New York City! See if you can find New York City on the map.


I can’t say I’ve seen any apples here so far but New York City is REALLY cool.

We arrived here by taking a plane from Moline to Chicago and then another plane to New York’s LaGuardia International Airport. Kristin and I left her house before 5AM! I was so tired that I slept the entire way. So you can imagine my surprise when Kristin finally told me that we were in New York.

Kristin says New York City is divided into 5 “Boroughs” or regions. They are called Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. We are staying in Manhattan.

We had to take a cab to the hotel and I immediately noticed that ALL of the cabs in New York are yellow. Some are cars, some are mini-vans, and some are SUVs but they are all yellow. I found this very odd. The cabs in Washington DC were many different colors. Kristin says the city government here says all cabs have to be yellow. This is why all of the cabs look the same. And, Kristin says New York taxicabs are very famous. Here you can see me as I study the map of Manhattan during our cab ride to the hotel.


I now understand why Kristin said Dubai reminded her of New York City. There are TONS of VERY tall buildings and skyscrapers. But here the buildings are much closer together. The traffic here, however, is even slower than the traffic in Dubai. I’m glad I packed my walking shoes!

We are staying at the Hilton-Times Square. The hotel is very nice. Kristin’s room is much larger than the one she had in Washington DC and she has what the clerk at the front desk calls a “city view.” I don’t really understand what that means but I can see many tall buildings from Kristin’s window. I can also see the Hudson River from her room.

Kristin says the building behind me in this picture with the clock on it is home to the New York Times newspaper. Keith says it is a very famous newspaper.


Keith and Kristin have spent all afternoon working on the computer and making tons of phone calls. Kristin says they are trying to finish the script for their radio program. Do you remember what a script is? I first learned about it in Doha.

It is starting to get dark here now. I think we are going to dinner soon. I will check back in when I can.

Until next time.

The Big Apple?

Hi again. I am so excited that I forgot to mention in my last note that Keith and Kristin have asked me to come with them on another trip this week.

Kristin says we are going to a place called “The Big Apple” to gather more material for their radio program. I’ve heard about a book called “James and the Giant Peach” but I had no idea there was a place called “The Big Apple.” Have you heard of this place?

I think Kristin is trying to surprise me. I guess I will find out on Tuesday. Kristin says I will have to go to bed early on Monday night because we will leave for the airport at 5:00AM! Wow! Keith and Kristin travel at the strangest times.

I’ll check in once I know more about my next adventure. Bye for now.

My Trip to the Office

Hi everyone. I hope you are staying warm.

Since it is far too cold to play outside today, my friend Kristin asked me if I wanted to go to her office with her today. I thought this might be interesting because I only see her when she is traveling.

You might be wondering why Kristin was working on a Sunday. I had the same question. Kristin says she and Keith and their friend Simon (who I met in Washington DC) are still working on their radio program. Kristin says they are now on something she calls “deadline.” She says all of the material for the radio program needs to be ready to go by a certain date. I think this must be similar to homework assignments at school. I might get in trouble if I don’t turn my homework in on time and I think Kristin wants to make sure she gets all of her work done on time.

Kristin has a very nice office at the Stanley Foundation. I can see the Mississippi River and the big bridge from her desk. I can also see the building where Aunt Lynn works. Here you can see me sitting in Kristin’s office chair.


I noticed that Kristin has a number of small masks, boxes and wooden dolls on her bookshelf and walls. Kristin says these items she brought back from her many trips overseas. This makes sense. I brought home Oasis and my new bear from Washington so I could tell my friends about my trips with Keith and Kristin.

Kristin also has many pictures of children in her office. She says they are pictures of children she has met all over the world. She says they hold a special place in her heart. I’m not really sure what that means but I can tell Kristin takes good care of the pictures.


I noticed that many of the children look sad and are wearing torn clothes. Kristin says many of these children don’t have many clothes or toys or even a house to live in. I had no idea that some children around the world don’t live like I do here in Muscatine. I can’t imagine not having toys to play with! Kristin says this is why I should be thankful for all of my toys. I promise I am going to be thankful for everything I have from now on.

There were so many things to see in Kristin’s office that I could have spent all day wandering around. But she said we didn’t have time. We had work to do! So she took me down a flight of stairs to the foundation’s radio studio. It is a very little room full of many electronic items. The studio is similar to the control room I visited at Al Jazeera but this one is much smaller. Here you can see me on a machine Kristin calls “the board.” It is a series of buttons and slides that move so you can hear audio. The board looks very confusing. I’m glad Kristin was there to make it work right!


The tall tower on my left in the picture is something Kristin calls a “rack.” Basically it is an open metal box that holds machines that play CDs and allow her computer to play audio.

The studio computer is very cool. It has TWO monitors. Today, Kristin was using the computer to download audio from something called an “FTP” site. She says the FTP is a special Web site that allows her friend Simon in Washington to send her audio from his computer. She says this is much faster than having Simon send her a CD in the mail. Very cool! I think this is similar to downloading songs to an ipod or mp3 player.


Wow! I had NO idea all of the many skills things a journalist must know to do their jobs.

Until next time…..

Home Again...Ahead of the Storm

Hi! I have just arrived back in Iowa.

Very early this morning Kristin woke me up and told me we had to rush to get ready for the airport. Kristin said a major snowstorm was going to blow into Washington today. I didn’t know about the storm but Kristin said the weatherman had been talking about it for a few days. So on Friday, she changed our plane tickets for an earlier flight.

Although I am very tired from getting up so early, I think it was the right thing to do. It was raining when we left the airport this morning. See how dark the sky is in this picture Kristin took of me in the airport business lounge?


I really like spending time in the lounge watching the planes. It is very interesting to watch the workers load suitcases into the bottom of the plane. They use a portable ramp that can be moved from plane to plane. I think it would be fun to drive one of the little carts that pull the ramps and the suitcase storage bins. They are similar to golf carts but they have bigger wheels and no top.

Our plane trip to Chicago was very quiet. I was tired from getting up so early so I took a nap. We spent a few hours in the business lounge at O’Hare airport in Chicago and then we took another plane to Moline.

The luggage arrived with no problems. Whew! I was worried about my new stuffed bear. I hope he didn’t get too cold in Kristin’s suitcase. Here you can see me helping Kristin unpack him.


Once again I want to thank my friends Keith and Kristin for taking me to Washington, DC. I really enjoyed the visit. And, I think Washington is one place I want to visit again.

Until my next trip…..

Crossing the Potomac

Hi everyone!

I have had another exciting day here in Washington. Today, Keith and Kristin attended a conference in nearby Virginia. I am so excited because now I can cross Virginia off the list of states I have not visited!

To get to Virginia, we had to cross over the Potomac River. The river is not as wide as the Mississippi River is in Muscatine but it was still neat to see it from the bridge. Before crossing the river, I was able to see the US Capital (the real one...not the photo). Just after crossing the river we drove by the Pentagon. This is where the US Department of Defense is located. Do you know why the building is called the Pentagon? Kristin says a pentagon is a shape just like a square or a circle. A square has four sides and a pentagon has five sides. The Pentagon is a HUGE office building and it is built in the shape of a pentagon. Very cool! Keith says at one time it was the largest office building in the world. I had no idea!

Kristin was worried I would be bored at the conference so she bought me a cool teddy bear, a coloring book, and a map of Washington DC to keep me busy. The bear has an American flag and the White House stitched on it. The coloring book includes pictures and stories about many of the famous landmarks in Washington. It is very neat. I read the entire book but I decided to wait until I was back home with Michael before coloring in it. Here I am at the meeting reading my new book.

After the meeting, we returned to the hotel and then we went out for dinner. Guess what? I got to ride the Metro again. I love the Metro. It goes SO fast through the tunnels.

Tonight we actually went back to Virginia to a place where Keith and Kristin like to eat. One of the Metro stops is at the Pentagon! I haven't been inside of the Pentagon but I have been UNDER it! Also, there are parts of the Metro that are above ground. So I was able to see the edge of Arlington National Cemetery.

I fell asleep on the way back to the hotel so Kristin tucked me into bed with my new bear. I have not named him yet so maybe you can help me come up with a name when I get home.

Until next time....

The Real White House and More

Hi everyone.

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write. I am having so much fun that I don’t have time to sit at the computer.

Keith and Kristin were very busy with meetings all day on Thursday. Kristin told me I would need my walking shoes before we left the hotel. She was right. We walked a TON today around parts of Washington. Kristin says sometimes it is faster to walk than to take a cab.

Our first stop of the day was Al Jazeera’s Washington DC office. It is an office of the same station I visited in Qatar. Remember the photo of me with Kristin near the TV? That was taken at Al Jazeera’s headquarters in Doha. The office here is much smaller but Keith tells me it is growing fast. Al Jazeera is starting a news channel that will broadcast in English and one of the main offices for the new channel is here in Washington.

The Al Jazeera office is located on K Street. Yes, the street name is just the letter “K.” I noticed many streets today that were only named by letter. How simple! Anyway, Kristin tells me that K Street is very well known in Washington. Many people and organizations that work with the government have offices on K Street.

I wasn’t all that interested in hearing more about K Street but Kristin told me that it was very close to a famous location. Guess what? The Al Jazeera office is near the White House! That’s where the President of the United States lives. The White House has a very famous address. Do you know what it is? See if you can look it up.

It is a REALLY BIG house. Bigger than any house I have ever seen. Kristin says people can tour the White House but we didn’t have time. It's OK. Keith says the president wasn't at home today. But, Keith did was able to take a photo of me with Kristin in front of the White House.

Can you tell it is cold and VERY windy here? I am very glad Aunt Lynn bought me a new coat for Christmas. It keeps me dry and warm.

This afternoon, Keith and Kristin visited their friend Simon Marks. Simon owns a company called Feature Story News. He is a journalist like Keith and Kristin. He even has a TV studio in his office! He is helping Keith and Kristin work on their radio program. So while Keith and Kristin were talking with Simon, I pretended I was a journalist like Keith and Kristin. Here you can see me sitting in the chair Simon and his staff use when they are talking to stations around the world. The picture in the background is of the Capital Building here in Washington.

Keith says I am a "natural." I don't know what that means but I think I look pretty cool; don't you?

Just when I thought my exciting day was over, Keith and Kristin had one more surprise for me. We took a cab to our first meeting of the day but tonight we took something called the Metro back to the hotel. Guess what? The Metro is an underground train! It is really cool. Kristin says there are many stops and there are several different routes that help people get from one place to another. There is a major stop at Dupont Circle near our hotel. It is on the “Red Line.” All of the routes are named for colors; again, very simple and easy to understand.

I can tell that Keith and Kristin have been on the Metro many times. You have to buy a special ticket and put it through a ticket machine before you can enter the system. BUT….first you have to get to the ticket machine. Remember, the special trains are underground....WAY underground! To reach the train stop…or “platform” as Kristin calls it, you have to take a VERY long escalator. The one at Dupont Circle is very, very steep. I was worried that Kristin was going to fall over because the escalator is so steep that it makes it seem like you are falling forward. I was very scared but Kristin held on tight and didn’t fall. She told me later that it was OK to be afraid. She says the escalator scares her too.

The train itself runs on a schedule. It is very clean and fast. It runs through a tunnel dug deep under the city. Sometimes it goes so fast that my ears pop. Kristin told me that is a normal reaction and not to worry. I was scared the first time we took the Metro but now I can’t wait to ride it again. Kristin told me that if I was really, really good I might get to ride the train again.

I wanted Kristin to take my picture on the train but she told me it is not allowed. She says it is a security measure. I noticed there is a lot of security in Washington. Kristin says that is because this is America's capital and the president and other important people live and work here.

Whew! I am tired from my big adventures today. I am going to head to bed now.

Until next time.....

Greetings from Washington DC!

Greetings from Washington DC!

I am so excited. Kristin has found a spot in her purse for me so I am now able to go with her everywhere she goes on this trip. I am very glad because I like to see new things. It is much better than being stored away in a suitcase.

We arrived safely earlier this evening but we were delayed a bit along the way. It was snowing in Chicago and we had to wait for a special truck to spray pink liquid on the wings of the plane. Keith said the liquid is anti-freeze and the truck was “deicing” the plane. He says it is bad if there is ice on the wings of a plane when it takes off. It was very interesting to watch out the plane window.

The trip was uneventful after we left Chicago. Keith and Kristin’s luggage arrived OK and we took a cab to our hotel. Keith tells me there are two airports near Washington, DC. We arrived at the Ronald Reagan National Airport. Did you know it was renamed several years ago to honor President Reagan?

In the cab we drove by several large, white stone buildings and towers. Kristin told me they are monuments and memorials. The tall white tower is the Washington Monument. It honors America’s first president, George Washington. I also saw the Jefferson Memorial, which honors our third president, Thomas Jefferson. And the road is so close to the Lincoln Memorial that I could almost touch it from the cab window. That building honors President Abraham Lincoln. I could also see the Kennedy Center across the river. It honors President John Kennedy.

I was beginning to sense a pattern so I asked Kristin if every president has a special memorial here in Washington. She said no. So, I have decided that these presidents must be extra special.

We are staying at Jury’s on Dupont Circle. Keith and Kristin have stayed here several times. Kristin’s room is nice but much smaller than the rooms she had in the Middle East. It actually overlooks Dupont Circle and even has a small refrigerator full of drinks and food. Kristin says she has to pay for anything she drinks or eats and I guess it is VERY expensive. Kristin says this room is much closer to the type of room she normally stays in on her trips in the United States.

Tonight Keith and Kristin met one of their very good friends at a Chinese restaurant near the hotel. Her name is Liz Shropshire and they met her several years ago in Kosovo. Do you know where Kosovo is? See if you can find it on a map. Liz teaches music programs to children in Kosovo and some of her students have visited Muscatine. Kristin and Keith (and his entire family) were part of a Muscatine group that visited Liz in Kosovo last summer. Liz was speaking at a nearby college so she decided to have dinner with Keith and Kristin. Here you can see me with Kristin and Liz.

Well that’s about it for now. I need to get to sleep. Kristin says we have a full day of meetings tomorrow.

Until next time….

Greetings from Moline

Hi everyone!

I am sitting with Keith and Kristin at the airport in Moline waiting for our first flight. Guess what? I got to go through the x-ray machine again! This time I was in Kristin's purse. I asked Kristin why her bags go through an x-ray machine at the airport. She told me all passenger luggage is checked to make sure nothing bad is in someone's bag. She says this is hopefully making it safer for us to travel.

I had forgotten that traveling requires a great deal of patience. So I am using my time to help Keith check his e-mail. He has a really cool machine called a BlackBerry. It looks like a GameBoy but his has more than games. It also includes a phone AND he can see all of his e-mail. It is very neat. It makes a small noise when new e-mail arrives.

Keith didn't take this on our last trip. He says that's because it doesn't work overseas. Kristin says I will see the BlackBerry a lot on this trip.

That's all for now. Our plane is about to arrive. I'll check in once I get to Washington.

Until next time.....

I'm Off to See The President

OK...I may not actually SEE the President of the United States but I am headed to Washington, DC for my next adventure!

My good friends Keith and Kristin are headed there to continue work on the radio program they started during our last trip. Since I traveled with them to the Middle East, they asked if I wanted to tag along on this trip. I said YES right away!

I am very excited. I have never been to Washington, DC. Did you know that it is the capital of the United States? Did you also know the president lives there in a big white house? (I had no idea. Kristin told me).

Kristin tells me it will be a very short trip. We leave tomorrow from Moline and return on Saturday. Tonight I have been helping Kristin pack her computer.

I am sure this will be an exciting trip. I'll keep you posted when I can. Bye for now...

Say Hello to Oasis

Hi everyone!

Since my return from the Middle East, I have had several people ask me if I have a name for my stuffed camel.

I am glad that you asked. After talking with Michael, I have decided to name him Oasis. Do you know what oasis means? See if you can look it up. I think it is a great name for a camel from Dubai.

Until next time....

Home Sweet Home

Hi everyone! It is good to be back in Iowa…but I wish the weather was a bit warmer.

I am awake now but still very sleepy. Kristin says I am suffering from “jet lag”. She says many people get jet lag after traveling far distances across many time zones on airplanes. I guess it will take a few days for me to get back to my normal sleeping pattern.

My trip home was nothing like my trip to the region. We didn’t get delayed along the way. According to my watch we arrived only 8 hours after we left Dubai but I know that it took MUCH longer than that to fly back to America.

I tried to sleep most of the trip but I was awake when we landed in Frankfurt. Here you can see me with a bowl of real German gummy bears. They had these out for breakfast in the business lounge! Can you believe it?



And here I am helping Kristin unpack my camel from her suitcase after the long trip.


I want to thank Michael for allowing me to take this trip. I also want to thank my friends Keith and Kristin for taking me along on their great adventure to the Middle East. I learned so much and saw so many things that I never imagined I would ever see in my life. I hope someday you will get to see the same great places I visited.

I hope you had as much fun reading my online journal as I did on the trip.

Until the next great adventure….goodbye!

A Quick Update From Flat Michael

Hi Everyone! I wanted to write a quick note to let you know I am back in Iowa! Kristin and I are very, very tired so it will be awhile before I can post my latest photos.

You may notice that the blog looks different. I noticed when I checked the blog on Kristin’s computer tonight that it looked funny. I was using Netscape to update on my trip and all of my messages looked fine but I see there are funny characters on Kristin’s Internet Explorer version of the blog. So, Kristin helped me change the template tonight.

I still see some problems but I am too tired to go back and change all of my posts. Sorry about the problems. I think the blog may also be tired from the trip!

Goodbye for now!

Goodbye Dubai!

In a few hours we will be leaving for the airport for the return trip to Iowa.

Our first flight leaves Dubai at 2:55AM Thursday morning! (VERY EARLY)! We are flying to Frankfurt, Germany and then we board another plane and fly to Chicago. Kristin will then drive us home. If everything remains on time and we aren’t delayed along the way, I should be back in Iowa by Thursday evening. Do you realize that the trip will actually take nearly 24 hours but we go through so many time zones that we arrive back in the US on the same day we leave here? Very confusing and very tiring.

Kristin and Keith are busy packing their suitcases and their equipment. Here you can see me helping Kristin pack my new camel into her suitcase.

I am sad that I am leaving because I have met so many nice people during the trip and because the weather in Doha and Dubai right now is like summer in Iowa. But, I do miss my friends and family so I am glad we are heading home.

Wish us luck with our flights! Goodbye for now.

Chocolate, Clams and Koi

Hi again. While Keith and Kristin were busy interviewing people at their conference, I decided to stretch my legs and explore the hotel today.

I was curious about the floor labeled “R” in the elevator so I decided to go there first. I soon learned that “R” stands for restaurant. There are at least 5 different restaurants on that floor. I could choose from Asian, German, and Lebanese food or I could visit “The Marketplace.” This is a restaurant where people visit various booths to pick food that comes from all over the world.

My favorite was the dessert booth. It has a chocolate fountain! I didn’t know chocolate could flow from a fountain like water. It is really cool. Next to the chocolate fountain, you can choose a number of different sweets, put them on long toothpicks, and then place it under the fountain so it is covered in chocolate. I picked marshmallows on a stick. Yum! (Shh….don’t tell anyone I actually ate dessert first.)

I then made my way to the Asian restaurant. It is called “Bamboo Lagoon.” It has a stream running through it with REAL fish in it! The fish are many colors and look like super large goldfish. Kristin told me the fish are called Koi. Look closely and you will see one near me in this photo.

Did I mention there are clams or clamshells everywhere in Doha and Dubai? Many of them look like the shells I see in downtown Muscatine at the museum. Here at the hotel every restaurant has baskets full of these shells.

I asked Kristin about these shells. She told me that may years ago men used to harvest clams from the Persian Gulf (the large body of water bordering Qatar and UAE). They were looking for pearls inside of the clams. Kristin says the pearls were made into necklaces. Kristin says the “pearl industry” as she called it is no longer the main business here. Her story reminds me of the pearl button business in Muscatine that I hear about in history class.

Santa was at the entrance to the Bamboo Lagoon. Since I didn’t get a chance to talk to him before I left on this trip I decided to visit him here.

I told Santa I have been VERY good on this trip so I hope he will visit me later this week in Iowa. :)

That’s all for now. Until next time!

The Royal Dinner

WOW! I just returned from the most amazing dinner. Tonight Keith, Kristin and the rest of their conference participants boarded a small bus (like the ones in Muscatine) and went to the newest hotel in Dubai, The Palm Hyatt, for dinner.

It is a VERY nice hotel and Kristin says it is only 6 months old. It even SMELLED new.

Anyway, Kristin let me come along for the ride in her purse because she knew it was going to be an important night. Guess what? I was watching from Kristin’s purse when she and Keith met His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Wow….that is a long name!

Why was this so special? The Sheikh is the Minister of Information for the United Arab Emirates. More importantly, he is a member of the royal family that governs this country. K eith says his brother is the Crown Prince of UAE. Yes, I got to see royalty tonight!

This was a very formal meeting. We had to wait in a lounge at the hotel for the Sheikh to arrive. When he did arrive everyone stood and he shook everyone’s hand. Then people gathered around to hear him speak. It was just like in the movies. I couldn’t believe it! Kristin said it was "surreal." I don't know what that means but it was cool!

I wish I had a picture to show you but Kristin said it would have been very rude to ask the Sheikh for a photo. After seeing how people acted around him, I could tell he was special. So I think Kristin was right about not taking the photo.

The Sheikh spent at least 20 minutes talking about things I don’t understand. Keith told me much of the talk was about the politics of the Arab region. He also told me it was OK if I didn’t completely understand because Keith says the politics of the region can be very confusing. Whew!

Afterwards, the Sheikh hosted a dinner for the conference group. I have never seen so much food in my entire life. Kristin said there was lamb, beef, chicken, and every kind of vegetable you could imagine on the table. And that was just the start. Kristin said they served the best lemon cheesecake she has ever tasted and lots of other sweet treats.

We didn’t leave the dinner until well after midnight. I was SO tired that I fell asleep on the way back to our hotel. So Kristin kindly tucked me into bed with my stuffed Camel.

By the way, I haven’t decided on a name for my new camel. Perhaps you can help me come up with a name when I return home.

Until next time…..

da Bears and Christmas in the Desert

Hi again.

All is well here in Dubai. Keith and Kristin are busy getting ready for their conference so I spent part of the day flipping through the television to see what I might find on TV.

One channel here shows ESPN’s Sunday night football game. I was quite excited to find out this week’s game was Chicago versus Atlanta. Kristin was very excited. She is a big Bears fan. Here you can see me watching the game (sorry Aunt Lynn).

I enjoyed watching even if it was a Bears game. I hope Green Bay wins tonight! It looked very cold in Chicago during the football game. I suppose it is the same in Iowa. It is still nice and warm here. I’m not sure I am looking forward to the cold weather when I return home.

But, the cold weather reminded me that Christmas is less than a week away. It is hard for me to believe that Santa is coming soon. It doesn’t feel like Christmas here in Dubai but it certainly LOOKS like Christmas everywhere I go. Do you see me in the tree?

If you didn’t see me, Keith took a picture of Kristin and me by the same tree here in the hotel.

I have seen signs of winter and Christmas in both Doha and Dubai. Our hotels have multiple Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, reindeer, and other holiday reminders. The store windows in the mall have holiday sale posters and many, many places have pictures of snowflakes. Kristin told me she even saw a place to visit Santa in one of the Dubai malls.

I was surprised to see the snowflakes and other winter-like items such as heavy coats, sweaters, and snow boots since it is so warm here and it doesn’t snow in the desert. I also wasn’t surprised to see Christmas trees because that’s what I see at home this time of year. But, Keith and Kristin told me they were very surprised to see so many signs of Christmas because Christmas isn’t celebrated in the religion here. I had no idea.

Keith and Kristin have learned that the rulers of both Qatar and Dubai want to respect the holidays of other parts of the world and that’s why we are seeing so many signs of Christmas.

That’s all for now. Go Packers!

Dubai Update

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the long break. Keith and Kristin have been very busy the past two days exploring “Dubai Media City.” This is a special area built to bring media companies to Dubai. It seems to have worked! Keith tells me 5 years ago there were only three buildings in Media City. Now there are buildings, even skyscrapers, as far as I can see.

Media City is home to hundreds of TV, radio, Internet, and publishing companies. Kristin says many more want to move to Media City but there is no more space. All of the buildings that are under construction have businesses ready to move in.

I was amazed at Media City. It really is like a mini-city complete with restaurants, banks, and a road system. Here I am with Keith outside of the Media City management office.

Keith and Kristin visited several local radio stations where they produce programming in English, Arabic, Hindu and Urdu. Do you know where they speak Hindu and Urdu? See if you can look it up.

Keith and Kristin also shadowed a presenter for news channel Al Arabiya, which is based in Media City. A presenter is what we call a news "anchor" in America. Al Arabiya is similar to Al Jazeera but Keith and Kristin say the stories are more balanced.

During one of their breaks, Keith and Kristin visited a local shopping mall that is home to more than 300 stores. It is much larger than Northpark Mall in Davenport. It has two food courts, a hotel, and many stores. There were some I recognized including Old Navy, the Gap, and Radio Shack. Kristin was especially excited to see a Tiffany’s store. I wasn’t familiar with it but she told me it is an expensive jewelry store based in New York City. She says a very famous movie was made about the store in New York. Who knew?

The best part of the mall was escalators. In parts of the mall, they didn’t have stairs like they do in America. Instead they were flat moving panels like a ramp. I’ve never seen anything like it. But it makes sense. Some people were using the ramps to move items in a grocery cart.

Keith and Kristin say they will be attending a conference at the hotel for much of the rest of our trip. The conference, co-sponsored by the Stanley Foundation, is about Arab media. Kristin was worried that I might be bored during the conference so she bought me a stuffed camel to keep me company in her room.

Now I have a friend to watch TV with. And there are many things to watch on TV including American shows like Friends and Seinfeld. The hotel also has Cartoon Network so I don’t think I will be bored over the next few days.

That’s all for now.

Happy Friday from Dubai!

Hi again. Today, as I mentioned in a previous message, is a weekend day here so Keith and Kristin weren’t able to interview anyone for their radio program today. Instead we took a cab to a local “souk” or market called “Madinat Jumeirah.” It is a very nice market that is located near Dubai’s famous Burj al Arab. The Burj al Arab is a very tall building that looks like the tall sail on a sailboat. It must have been very hard to build. Here you can see the building behind me as we stopped to look at the small boats moving through the souk.

This souk was very different from the one we visited in Doha. It was much more organized, cleaner, and more expensive. It even had a food court complete with a Cinnabon! Kristin LOVES Cinnabon but instead visited a TCBY store later in the day.

After we left the souk we visited an area along Dubai Creek, a waterway that divides the older portion of Dubai from the new sections of the city. Keith told me that many of the buildings I saw in the cab today on the way to the souk were built in the last 10 years. Some people say they can build an entire story of a new office building in less than a week here in Dubai. That is really fast! And, Keith says they are now building what it supposed to be the tallest building in the world here in Dubai. I don't know when it will be done but I might have to come back here to see it.

That’s all for now. Until next time….

Hi from Dubai!

Hi everyone. We have made it safely to Dubai. It is a very busy city with many, many cars and tall buildings. It is nothing like Doha. Doha seems much more like a small town than a large city. Kristin says Dubai reminds her of a mixture between New York City and Las Vegas.

We are staying at the Marriott here in Dubai. It is VERY nice. They even have a rubber ducky I can play with in the bathtub if I want….although Kristin says it will cost me money if I want to take it home. Oh well, I will use it until I leave.

Did you know that weekends in the Arab world are different than they are in America? Today (Thursday) is like our Saturday. Tomorrow (Friday) is like our Sunday. No one really works here on Friday. So, I will likely use the day to catch up on my sleep. Traveling makes me very tired.

I hope all is well back in Iowa.

Until next time…..

Camels and McDonalds!

Hi again. I had another very exciting day. Kristin has found space for me in her day bag and so now she lets me travel with her throughout the day. This is a great treat!

Today Haitham took us to the town of Al-Shahaniya, west of Doha, because Kristin wanted to see camels. I was amazed as we drove out of town. All I could see for miles and miles was flat desert sand and small dry plants. Many of the houses on the road looked like sand castles I would build at the beach. Very interesting.

It didn’t take long for us to find camels roaming the desert. Keith and Kristin told me to start looking out the window as soon as they saw a sign along the side of the road with a camel on it. In Iowa we have “deer crossing” road signs. In Qatar they have “camel crossing signs.”

I was able to see camels roaming freely not very far from the road. Then we took a road to the place where they hold camel races. The races are similar to the horse races in America only they race camels. There were no races today but there were plenty of camels training on the long sand track. Here you can see me with Kristin near a camel crossing sign. Look closely and you will see many camels in the background.

I didn’t get any closer to the camels. I’m not sure I want to pet one but they are nice to look at.

By the way, have I mentioned that it is nice and warm here? The temperature is in the mid 80’s everyday. Haitham says it gets very, very hot in the summer here in Doha. So all of the local businesses close between noon and 4pm so people can stay indoors during the hottest part of the day. I think this must be similar to siesta time in Mexico.

Later in the day we went to the local goods market. The market, called a “souq” in the Arab region is a series of small outdoor booths with vendors that sell everything from fabric to soap to spices. The spice section smelled very nice. Keith bought a “thobe al-nashl” at the market. I don’t know how to say the name but it is a floor-length white shirt that many men here wear. Haitham calls it traditional clothing. Keith also purchased the traditional headdress. It is a red and white scarf and black cords. Not everyone wears traditional clothing here. Many men wear the same clothes I would wear at home. It is a good thing because they didn’t have a thobe in my size!

Keith and Kristin tell me there are markets like this one all over the world. It is nothing like a shopping mall. However, Kristin says there are shopping malls here in Doha that are like Northpark Mall in Davenport.

After the market, Haitham drove us to a place that I was very familiar with: McDonalds. I have noticed on my trips through Doha several restaurants and stores that I see in America. I recognize the signs but they are printed with a series of lines and symbols that I don’t recognize. Kristin and Keith tell me that I am seeing the Arabic translation of the English words. Arabic is the local language. Here you can see the local McDonalds sign.

Here Keith holds me up next to his diet coke and French fries. They both taste just like they do in America. Yummy!

There are many other stores that I see in America including Starbucks, Applebee’s, Chili’s, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, TCBY, and Hardees. There is even a very large Toys-R-Us store here….but Kristin said we didn’t have time to stop and visit it. :(

Tonight Keith and Kristin are packing their equipment and bags because tomorrow we head to Dubai.

I will check-in with you once I am settled in Dubai. Goodbye for now.

My Visit to a TV Network

Hi again from Doha. Today was very exciting for me. Keith and Kristin took me along as they visited Al Jazeera, the most watched Arab news channel.

Keith and Kristin told me that some people do not like Al Jazeera. But they also told me that as journalists they must be fair when they present a story. So they visited Al Jazeera because it was important to talk with Al Jazeera even if some people don’t like its point of view.

Keith and Kristin were there to talk with the managing director and top editors. They visited the big newsroom gathering sound of people working. The newsroom is where journalists put together newscasts. It is very colorful and has lots of TV screens. The newsroom was very busy today with people rushing around. Keith and Kristin told me there was an important news story happening while we were in the newsroom and that’s why people were in a big rush.

Here you can see me with Kristin near a TV and a machine they call a teleprompter.

The teleprompter is what the news people read when they are on the air. I always wondered how news people could tell the news without looking at a paper. Now I know.

My favorite part of the visit was the tour of the “control room.” This is the room where people direct the newscasters and reporters. This room has many TV sets on one wall and the workers can switch from one screen to another. I think you have to be very smart to work in the control room because all of the TVs and buttons looked very confusing to me.

I am learning that being a journalist is hard work. When Keith and Kristin return to the hotel they must download all of the audio they record to their computer, work on photos and write their stories. They call their stories scripts. Here I am watching Kristin as she works on a script.

One thing I have noticed is that the electrical outlets here in Qatar are not the same as in America. This means Keith and Kristin have to use special connectors to make their equipment work. Here you can see me standing near the outlet Kristin is using to power her computer. You can see all of the connectors she is using are almost as big as me!

Until next time.....

We Have Arrived in Doha FINALLY!

Hi. I have had quite a long day. Below, in my earlier post from Munich, you will see we were supposed to fly to Athens today and then to Doha.

We never made it to Athens. One of the plane’s engines failed as we were taking off. The plane never made it off the ground so we didn’t know what was wrong until the pilot told us.

Whew…that was a close call. It could have been very bad if the engine failed while we were in the air.

To make a very long story short, Keith and Kristin were able to get us tickets on Emirates Air, an airline based in the United Arab Emirates. See if you can find it on the map.

We had to wait a very long time in Munich for our next flight but I enjoyed watching workers get our plane ready.

This plane flew us to Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates. We then moved to another plane and arrived in Doha, Qatar at 2:10AM!

Kristin says most countries must check your passport before they allow you to leave the airport. Keith and Kristin have stamps from all over the world in their passports and now they have what is known as a “visa” stamp in their passports. This allows them to stay in Qatar for up to 21 days. I don’t have a passport but now I know that I must get one for future trips.

Our luggage arrived with no problems. Keith and Kristin’s friend Haitham picked us up at the airport and took us to our hotel. Haitham is a “fixer.” He is a journalist who helps journalists like Keith and Kristin set up appointments in foreign countries. Haitham is very nice.

There is a lot of security at the hotel. I don’t mind...I got to go through the x-ray machine again. I think that is so fun.

I am very tired from traveling and since Doha is 10 hours ahead of Iowa time I can barely keep my eyes open. This means it is the afternoon here while it is the middle of the night in Iowa. Kristin says it will take a few days to adjust completely.

Kristin finally tucked me into bed around 4:00AM.

Goodbye for now!